FORGED BANK NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 20778, 28 April 1931, Page 8

FORGED BANK NOTES

■— "’** POLICE SWOOP QUICKLY SUSPECTS ARRESTED fPER United Press Association.] AUCKLAND, April 27. Two men wore arrested in the city by detectives to-day in connection with the circulation of counterfeit Bank of New South Wales £1 notes in Auckland and the provincial towns on Friday. A third man, a son of one ot the others, is being held as a suspect. Tho police state that live men were concerned in the passing of the notes, and an active search for the remaining two is being conducted. Almost the entire detective force was assigned to the case as soon as advice was received that notes were being passed. Valuable clues came to hand during the week-end, and the police were in possession of a definite lead upon which to work. The first results appeared to-day when a motor car, which, it is alleged, was used by the men in travelling to Hamilton and uttering the notes, was recovered, and a man who, it is stated, was the driver, was arrested. Later in die day two other men were arrested. Two of the men will appear in the Police Court in the morning on charges of uttering counterfeit notes. Tho men are aged forty and thirtyfive years respectively. One, it is believed, arrived recently from Christchurch, and the other is aot known to the police in Auckland. A sharge of vagranev has boon preferred against the third man, who will appear with the other two.

About forty of the spurious notes have come into the hands of the police, while others have been reported. It is considered that about 100 were put into circulation in the city and at towns as far south as Hamilton. At Hamilton the local police have recovered nine notes.

A few of the notes came into the possession to-day of the Queen street branch of tho Bank of New South Wales. An official at tho bank said that the notes were a very fair imitation, and would probably pass a bank teller under ordinary conditions.