False Notes

       Police net counterfeit dollars with a face value of almost Bt100 million; Cambodia connection being probed
       US Embassy officials led Sa Kaew police yesterday in a sting operation that resulted in the arrest of a 62-year-old businesswoman and seizure of counterfeit US banknotes with a face value of more than Bt41 million.
       Police sting
       The embassy's four-strong counterfeit-currency team had been on the case since identifying as fake banknotes previously seized by Aranyaphrathet Police on the border with Cambodia.
       The team led the way to a shop on Burapa Pirom Road, where undercover police arranged to buy a bundle of counterfeit 100-dollar bank-notes at Bt80 apiece. After the embassy men confirmed the banknotes were fake, police arrested shop owner Kimcheng Srimahakomol. A subsequent search of the premises yielded a total of 12,320 fake 100-dollar bills hidden in boxes and each printed with the serial number AL32738338D.
       Clues from Cambodia
       Under interrogation, Kimcheng told police she bought the banknotes from Bangkok's Yaowarat area with the intention of selling them as kong-tek - offerings to the spirit of the deceased at Chinese funerals - and that she was unaware this was illegal.
       Police said sheets of Cambodian newspapers used to wrap the bundles of notes didn't fit with Kimcheng's claims and further investigation was necessary.
       More incidents
       This latest operation follows an incident last Wednesday in which police arrested Chatchai Wongkittikraiwal, 26, and seized counterfeit 100-dollar bills with a face value of some Bt31 million. A day later, Cambodian vendor Seng Bonlan, 36, was taken into custody after being arrested at Sa Kaew's Rong Kleu Market with Bt18 million in fake 100-dollar notes.