Bahraini man, woman jailed in fake Saudi Riyals case

Manama : A Bahraini  man accused on grounds of fraud and forgery has been hit with eight years in prison. A Bahraini woman, who is said to have helped him in his crime, has been sentenced to three years in prison. 

They  reportedly attempted to purchase mobile phones using counterfeit Saudi riyals. The man was reportedly the mastermind of the scheme, while the woman was helping him to legalise the cash by buying mobile phones and reselling them later. 

Mobile phone shops owners say that the woman paid them fake Saudi currencies.  

According to court files, extensive investigations had been launched to nab her, and detectives learned that the woman was being helped by two men, including the mastermind and a BDF officer. 

Standing trial separately in a military court, the officer’s role was allegedly to bring the imported Saudi riyals from Saudi Arabia. 

The friend of the mastermind’s son told prosecutors that one day he went with his friend to receive a sachet full of bills. 

“His father told us to go to someone (the officer) to receive something from him. We met him in Hamala and he gave him (the mastermind’s son) a bag full of money,” the friend told prosecutors. 

“We delivered it, and the following day I visited their home and there was a lot of Saudi riyal notes and US dollars furnished on a table,” he added. Court files indicated that the bills’ were printed using a PC and scanner.