The Ondo State Police Command has raided a suspected counterfeit currency production facility in Kiniso village, Odigbo Local Government Area of the state, arresting one suspect and recovering three bags of fake United States dollar bills.
Gatekeepers News reports that the police said the operation targeted a hideout believed to be used for the production and printing of counterfeit dollar notes intended to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.
In a statement on Tuesday, the command’s spokesperson, Abayomi Jimoh, said the operation followed a complaint by Yusuf Nasir, a resident of the Sabo area of Okitipupa, who alleged that he was defrauded by two men.
According to Jimoh, Nasir reported that Peter Desmond and Olami Toro approached him at his shop on October 25, 2026, requesting a foreign exchange transaction.
The complainant allegedly handed the men $6,000 in exchange for its naira equivalent.
“However, while waiting to receive the naira equivalent, the suspects allegedly returned the dollars to him, claiming that they did not have sufficient funds to complete the transaction, and subsequently left,” Jimoh said.
He added that Nasir later discovered that the dollar notes returned to him were counterfeit, prompting him to report the incident to the police.
“The complainant later discovered, upon closer examination, that the dollar notes returned to him were counterfeit, prompting him to report the incident to the Police,” the statement added.
Jimoh said police operatives subsequently launched an investigation involving intelligence gathering and technical tracking, which led them to one of the suspects, Peter Desmond, in Kiniso village, near Ajue, in Odigbo LGA.
He said the operation was carried out on October 29, 2026, following credible intelligence from members of the community.
“Acting on credible intelligence received from members of the community, operatives proceeded to the identified location on 29th October 2026, where they raided the suspected hideout believed to be used for the production and printing of counterfeit dollar notes intended to defraud unsuspecting members of the public,” Jimoh said.
The police spokesperson disclosed that one suspect was arrested during the raid, while the other allegedly escaped through the perimeter fence of the facility.
The command also recovered three bags containing counterfeit United States dollar bills from the location.
The police said efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspect and further investigate the alleged counterfeit currency operation.
