A swift police operation in Pattaya led to the arrest of 31-year-old Uzbek national Iskandarkhuja Farkhodkhuj Akbarkhujaev, who was found in possession of $3,000 in counterfeit U.S. currency.
The case unfolded after a local currency exchange shop reported receiving 30 fake $100 bills from a foreign tourist. Authorities immediately launched an investigation, led by Police Colonel Anek Sarathongyoo, Superintendent of Pattaya City Police.
With the help of CCTV footage and identification documents provided by the exchange shop, police tracked the suspect to his hotel in central Pattaya on April 25.
Police Major Arut Saphanont, Deputy Superintendent of Investigations, headed the operation. At the hotel, officers discovered the counterfeit cash hidden in Akbarkhujaev’s shoulder bag, along with two currency exchange slips.
Akbarkhujaev confessed to bringing the fake bills from Turkey, planning to use them to pay for his daily expenses by exchanging them for Thai baht and other currencies.
He has been charged with knowingly possessing and using counterfeit U.S. currency. Legal proceedings are underway, and the investigation continues.
Police have urged businesses that may have unknowingly accepted fake bills to report to Pattaya City Police Station. Currency exchange shops are also advised to remain alert and collaborate with authorities to prevent further incidents.
In a similar case earlier this year, a 56-year-old Israeli man was arrested in Pattaya after attempting to exchange counterfeit $50 bills. Authorities continue to monitor and respond swiftly to such financial crimes.
