African held in UAE with ‘banknotes’ worth $1mn

Abu Dhabi, Aug 28 (IANS/WAM) An African was arrested in Abu Dhabi while trying to sell two souvenir banknotes worth $1 million to a woman, police said Sturday.

The 44-year-old man was arrested after a woman presented the banknotes to the UAE Central Bank to check whether they were valid against 30 percent of their value in the event of approval, Colonel Hammad Ahmed Al Hammadi, Director of the Criminal Investigation Department at Abu Dhabi Police, said.

After investigation, the currency notes were found not to be in circulation, but they were printed only for the members of the US-based “World millionaires Club”.

The accused pleaded innocence and claimed that he was a broker for a diamond trader in Belgium, the police said.

–IANS/WAM