KwaZulu-Natal Mom of 2 Arrested for Manufacturing Counterfeit Money, SA Stunned: “Times Are Tough”

• A woman from Pietermaritzburg was arrested after she produced fake money bills in her home
• The woman was allegedly cash-strapped after she and her husband were retrenched during the COVID-19 lockdown
• South Africans had different feelings about what she did, with some supporting her and others slamming her

Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist in Durban, South Africa, covered police investigations and court cases at Daily Sun for over three years.

South Africans were left speechless after a woman from Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu Natal was arrested after making fake money.

The woman allegedly learned how to counterfeit money by watching videos on social media because she faced financial difficulties. South Africans were shocked at the woman's tenacity and skill, and while not promoting the crime, felt compassion for her.

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Woman arrested for making fake money

Shobana Manipersadh was arrested at her home and appeared at the Pietermaritzburg Magistrates Court last week after the uMgungundlovu Crime Intelligence Unit and a few other intelligence units investigated and surveilled her home and businesses for months.

According to IOL, Manipersadh was employed as a geo-technician when she, along with her husband, who worked in the IT sector, lost her job during the COVID-19 pandemic. After failing to sell their home, Manipersadh, a mother of two, allegedly resorted to manufacturing fake money.

How she made the money

She allegedly watched hours of videos she found on Google and Instagram about printing fake money and shortly afterwards, she purchased equipment which she used to start her operation. She went into business and began asking for R200 for R1 000 worth of counterfeit money.

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The police were alerted of her activities after reports came from companies on Bombay Road, where she allegedly lived. The businesses complained that there was a lot of fake money being used to buy their products and the customers only bought at night.

It was also revealed that she allegedly made the fake money by scanning R100 and R200 notes, printing them on coloured paper and, using the printer, clear nail police and different inks and dyes, she printed the money.

Some had compassion; others slammed her

Her reasons moved netizens to comment on Facebook. Some disapproved of her actions.

Hanifa Mahomed said:

“It’s sad how our economy has become that people have to resort to this.”

Kelvin Mboma Mackay added:

“Times are tough. I don’t blame her.”

Armani was unimpressed:

“What she failed to do was sell her business and use the real money to start a clean business.”

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Sheer Ann remarked:

“She should be promoted to the office of the minister of finance for the ANC administration team. Fit perfectly fine there.”

Man busted for smuggling Toyota Fortuner

In a similar article, Briefly News reported that police arrested a man trying to smuggle a Toyota Fortuner out of the country.

Police discovered that this man was allegedly part of a smuggling syndicate that smuggled cars from Garsfontein in Gauteng to Zimbabwe via Limpopo.

The car's owner reported the vehicle stolen and the police acted on the report. Police caught up with him while en route to Beitbridge and gave chase before they arrested him.

Source: Briefly News