Tristan Saphan Franklyn, a 26-year-old labourer from Friendship Village, East Bank Demerara, was arrested by police today after being found in possession of suspected forged Guyana currency notes.
The incident occurred at approximately 7:59 AM on Tuesday when Althea Peters, a 44-year-old customer services representative and cashier at Banks DIH Limited located at Brickdam and Cornhill Street in Stabroek, Georgetown, reported a suspicious transaction to the Stabroek Police Outpost. Peters stated that a customer, identifying himself as Tristan Saphan Franklyn, visited the store to purchase both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
After completing the transaction, Franklyn paid Peters with eighty thousand Guyana dollars (GY$80,000) in five-thousand-dollar notes. Upon examining the currency, Peters suspected that the notes were counterfeit and promptly handed the money over to a police officer at the Stabroek Outpost. She also identified Franklyn to the police, leading to his arrest.
During a subsequent search of Franklynโs black haversack, officers discovered an additional one hundred and eighty thousand Guyana dollars (GY$180,000) in five-thousand-dollar bills, all of which were suspected to be forged.
The police seized the counterfeit currency notes and transported Franklyn to the Brickdam Police Station, where he was placed in custody. The suspected forged notes were placed in an evidence bag, marked, sealed, and submitted for analysis at the forensic laboratory.
Investigations into the matter are ongoing as authorities work to determine the origin of the counterfeit currency.
