Dubai resident microwaves currency to disinfect it amid Covid scare

Dubai - In another incident, a man placed his cash near a window exposing it to the sun and a part of the money got burnt because of the heat.

A Dubai resident was left with partially-burnt bank notes after he washed and put them in a microwave oven to disinfect the paper money.
Lt Ahmad Al Janahi, a top official with the documents inspection section in Dubai Police, said: "This is not an isolated or first case. We are dealing with similar cases as people are taking caution to a new level and resorting to desperate ways to disinfect or sanitise paper currency amid the Covid-19 pandemic."
He added that in cases of burnt cash, the currency is checked and if it is found to be genuine, a report is issued to the owner of the money affirming its authenticity and that he can have it replaced from the bank."
In another incident, a man placed his cash near a window exposing it to the sun and a part of the money got burnt because of the heat, Al Janahi said.
 
'Don't colour currency'
In a separate case, a panicky resident added some colour to a $100 bank note that was in a poor condition, he added.
"The bank note was found to be genuine, while the owner did not know that the few changes he made to decorate the overused note were illegal and amounted to counterfeiting."
Al Janahi said they use sophisticated devices, including VSC8000, to check the validity of the money they come across.
"Using ultraviolet and infrared lights, along with magnifying techniques, the team discovered that the owner of the particular $100 currency had intricately coloured some parts of the worn-out note."
The public must avoid making any changes to the paper currency or bank notes, and approach a bank to get their old, torn, burnt or soiled money replaced, Al Janaji urged.
 
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• Dubai