A man’s attempt to purchase gold jewellery using a bundle of counterfeit banknotes at a gold shop along Jalan Chabang Tiga here yesterday was foiled after the salesperson detected the fake money.
Kuala Terengganu district police chief Assistant Commissioner Azli Mohd Noor said the 36-year-old male salesperson lodged a police report at the Kuala Terengganu police station at 6.31pm.
According to the report, the salesperson was at the shop counter when he was approached by a man in his early 30s at about 3.10pm. The suspect was alone and was wearing a white kopiah, dark sunglasses and a pink face mask.
Azli said the suspect expressed interest in buying gold jewellery worth an estimated RM30,000. A colleague then showed the suspect several gold bracelets, which the salesperson observed.
“The suspect took photos of the jewellery, claiming he wanted to show them to his wife. After leaving and re-entering the premises twice, he later stated his intention to proceed with the purchase,” he said.
While the salesperson was preparing the receipt, the suspect was asked to hand over the payment. The suspect then placed a bundle of ‘cash’ tied together inside a yellow plastic bag on the counter.
“However, the salesperson noticed that the money looked suspicious as the edges of the notes were white,” Azli said.
When the salesperson attempted to examine the money more closely, the suspect allegedly became aggressive and fled the scene in a dark blue Perodua Axia parked in front of the shop. Subsequent checks found that the vehicle’s registration number was fake.
Azli said full CCTV footage from the premises has yet to be obtained, and police will also review recordings from nearby shops to assist in the investigation.
No losses were reported in the incident. The case is being investigated under Section 489B of the Penal Code.
