Police seize fake cash and phony money-making gear, arrest man in Quebec City

Bank notes issued by the Bank of Canada are seen in a display case at the Bank of Canada Museum in Ottawa, on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)

Officers in the Quebec provincial police (SQ) economic crime investigation squad and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers arrested a man in Quebec City and seized hundreds of dollars’ worth of counterfeit bills.

The SQ said in a news release that officers raided an apartment on Isidor Garon Street on Tuesday, looking to recover counterfeit bills and equipment used to produce them.

Mohamed Hedi Guedri, 24, was arrested and is expected to appear in a Quebec City courtroom on counterfeit currency possession and possession of criminally obtained property valued at over $5,000.

Police say there may be further searches and arrests.

The following was seized in the operation:

• A vehicle as offence-related property;
• $2,700 in counterfeit $20, $50 and $100 bills.

“The counterfeit bills seized do not have the security feature of raised print, and the hologram on the counterfeit bills can be scratched off,” the SQ said. “In addition, the serial numbers on the counterfeit bills in circulation are not unique.”

All the $20 bills seized have the serial number FIT4099385; the $50s have AHU5885903, and the $100 bills have GKV9181892.

“We therefore urge citizens and merchants in possession of such notes to report them as soon as possible to their local police service and to the Sûreté du Québec’s Criminal Information Centre at 1-800-659-4264,” the SQ said.

To identify fake bills, police suggest the following:

• Check at least two security features on the bills.
• Always compare a bill that seems fake with a real one.
• Check the Bank of Canada website to verify security features.

Police add that if you are faced with a counterfeit bill, you can politely refuse to accept it, ask for another bill and inform the person that you have suspicions about the bill and that they should contact the police.