One person is in custody after the RCMP received several reports of counterfeit money being used in the Comox Valley.
Police say they were notified in January of someone using fake money, which prompted officers to start collecting surveillance footage.
The RCMP says on January 20th, a man was arrested in relation to the counterfeit money, but the investigation didn’t stop there.
The Comox Valley Bike Unit continued their surveillance efforts and executed a search warrant at a hotel room, which contained a small counterfeit operation including a printer, paper, and some additional manufactured bills.
“When a business accepts counterfeit bills, they are not reimbursed by anyone and they lose all of that money.”
“This is particularly unfortunate during a time that small businesses are working hard to stay open through the pandemic,” explained Constable Monika Terragni, Media Relations Officer with the RCMP.
“We appreciate the businesses who assisted with the investigation so the production and distribution of this counterfeit could be stopped,” she added.
50-year old Pedro Cisneros is facing charges of making counterfeit money, uttering counterfeit money, possession of counterfeit money, and possession of instruments for counterfeiting.
