Picture used for illustrative purpose only.

Mohammed Yaseen, Staff Reporter

Dubai Court of Appeal commuted a ruling by the Court of First Instance to imprison a gang of 3 Africans and an Asian from two years to 6 months to be followed by deportation.

They were convicted of possessing counterfeit $100,000 and of attempting sell counterfeit $3 million for Dhs800,000 to a police source.

The court also upheld a fine of Dhs200,000 each.

The case dated back to last July when a police source received a tip-off that the convicts possessed counterfeit dollars and were looking for a buyer.

A trap was set up to catch the culprits red-handed.

A policeman testified that he met one of the convicts who offered him to look for a buyer of counterfeit US dollars and showed him a sample of those denominations.

The source agreed and told the police to lure the convicts and agree with them to buy the money.

 A policeman was assigned to accompany the source to buy that counterfeit currency.

After agreeing on the place and time to complete the deal and upon their arrival at the agreed place, the convicts were arrested with 13 bundles of counterfeit US dollars of $100 denominations.