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Main suspect in South Sulawesi counterfeit bill case arrested
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An officer displays fake money in Rp 100,000 denominations during a press conference at the Bank Indonesia (BI) building in Jakarta on Feb. 26, 2020. (JP/Dhoni Setiawan)
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uthorities have arrested and charged a wealthy entrepreneur from Makassar identified as ASS who they say is the primary actor in a counterfeit money syndicate linked to Alauddin State Islamic University
ASS is currently undergoing medical treatment for health issues.
"The main suspect has been detained, but they are currently unwell and being treated in police custody in Gowa regency. The counterfeit money was produced from 2022 to 2024," South Sulawesi Police chief Insp. Gen. Yudhiawan Wibisono said at a press conference at the South Sulawesi Police headquarters in Makassar on Monday, as quoted by kompas.com.
Yudhiawan said ASS had smuggled the counterfeit bill printing machine onto the state university’s campus in collaboration with the university's chief librarian, AI.
"The machine was brought in under the guise of being a student photocopying [machine] to avoid raising suspicion," he said.
South Sulawesi Police Special Crimes Directorate chief Sr. Comr. Dedi Supriyadi said ASS had played a critical role in the syndicate.
"The suspect, ASS, provided the idea, financed the operation, purchased the machine and gave orders to produce counterfeit money," Dedi said.
So far, 19 people have been arrested and named suspects in the case.
Bank Indonesia (BI), meanwhile, addressed public concerns regarding the counterfeit money case, noting that it also involved fake government security (SBN) certificates valued at Rp 700 trillion (US$45.6 billion) and fake BI time deposits worth Rp 45 trillion.
BI said these certificates were not counterfeit money, contrary to widespread public misconceptions.
“[Some of] the discoveries, worth Rp 745 trillion [$48.5 billion], are fake certificates, not counterfeit money. However, the counterfeit money produced in this case amounts to Rp 446 million, based on police reports,” BI Currency Management Department executive director Marlison Hakim said on Monday, as quoted by cnbcindonesia.com.
The counterfeit bills were Rp 100,000 notes, with 4,906 printed bills and 972 uncut sheets discovered.
Marlison also noted that the counterfeit money was of very poor quality and could be easily identified using the “3D” method (look, feel and examine against a light source).
Despite the low quality, BI urged the public to remain cautious and report any suspicious bills to banks, police stations or the nearest BI office for verification.
