Rwandese refugee and two Namibians arrested for printing fake money

By: Hendrina Kanyolo

A Rwandese refugee and two Namibian men were arrested last Thursday in Damara location after printing fake bank notes and selling them to the public. According to the Khomas police spokesperson, warrant officer Silas Shipandeni, the trio were arrested after a tip-off that they were reproducing banknotes at a printing shop operating from a residential area in Katutura central. Shipandeni told NewsonOne that the suspects sold N$1000 fake money for N$200 real money.

"We received information that they are involved in printing and re-producing banknotes. We had a team on the ground that had been following these particular allegations very closely until we established the truth behind the allegations,” remarked Shipandeni. Shipandeni said Police seized N$124 000 fake banknotes and equipment from a printing shop owned by a 37-year-old Rwandese refugee identified as Mike Raphael Kagube. Shipandeni said Kagube, from Osire refugee camp , was allegedly granted permission to visit Windhoek in January 2018 ; however his permit expired in March the same year. Kagube was arrested alongside two Namibian suspects, Gift Kurangera (33) and Rudolf Enghono (26) . The three suspects appeared in the Katutura Magistrate court on Friday and were denied bail for further police investigation and to get legal representatives. "We managed to arrest three suspects but one is still on the run," stated Shipandeni.

Shipandeni cautioned the public to be on the lookout for counterfeit money suspected to be in circulation.