More counterfeit cash emerges in Napier

Marewa Four Square owner Chuan Jia Fu is certain he is a victim of the same culprit who paid with counterfeit cash in at least two other locations last week. Photo / Paul Taylor

The aftermath of a counterfeit spending spree last week has continued after another Napier store owner discovered fake cash in his register.

Marewa Four Square owner Chuan Jia Fu said he is certain that the same person who paid with counterfeit currency at Garden Depot Napier last week came into his store. He found counterfeit currency in his till on Monday, May 30.

"It's uncertain to us which day he came in exactly, whether it was Saturday or Sunday or during the day on Monday, since I found it on the Monday afternoon."

He said the culprit had used a fake $50 bill, which he confirmed was exactly the same as the one used at Garden Depot on May 30 when he got in touch with owner Stuart Kyle Lindsay after seeing his post on social media about counterfeit cash.

"I sent him a picture of what the note looked like and he said 'yep, that's exactly it'.

The counterfeit $50 note used at Garden Depot last week, compared with a real $50 note. Graphic / NZME

"I am almost certain it would be the same person."

He said he had seen a picture of a suspect that had been posted online by Lindsay, but it would still take a lot of work to match it.

"To go through three days of footage, it takes a lot of time."

He said he would not report the incident to the police until he could locate the footage of the sale and the culprit to hand over.

"If I am going to report it to the police, I really need to have that footage of the person who came in and used the counterfeit money.

"When I get some time I am still committed to going through the footage, because I really don't like to see people get away from the crime they have committed."

Lindsay said he had also since been approached by a Napier market stall owner who knew of someone who had caught a person attempting to spend counterfeit cash at their stall.

Hawke's Bay Today has contacted the stall owner for comment.

A police spokeswoman said last week that the police had received reports of two incidents where counterfeit cash was used in Napier.

The first was on May 28 at a petrol station in Hospital Hill, and the second on May 30 in Pirimai.

A police spokesperson confirmed inquiries were ongoing in the case of the May 30 report and no arrests had been made in relation to either of the two incidents reported to them as of Monday, June 6.