Picture used for illustrative purpose only.

Mohammad Yaseen, Staff Reporter

The Dubai Criminal Court sentenced a European businessman and an Asian salesman to two years in jail and fined them Dhs200,000 each after they were convicted of possessing $740,000 and 50,000 fake euros, and attempting to promote them.

Both will be deported after serving their jail term.

The case dates back to March 2020 when the Electronic Investigation Department spotted a video clip showing number of Asian workers gatherings at a one place in violation of the decision social distancing taken nowadays to curb the corona pandemic.

According to the testimony of a policeman in the prosecution investigations, the video clip was verified and the person who made it was identified and arrested in the parking lot of a shopping centre in July 2020.

On being interrogated, the suspect confessed that he threw about 50,000 fake euros in the Al Quoz Industrial Zone, which he bought from a store for Dhs1,000, aiming to increase the number of followers of his personal account on social media.

When his house was searched, the police also found fake $740,000.

The policeman mentioned that a trap was set to arrest the second suspect by striking a deal to buy fake $1,500,000.

On being interrogated he confessed of printing fake currencies inside his store.