Malian troops on Friday arrested the mastermind of a counterfeiting trafficking network in possession of 5.3 billion CFA francs in counterfeit notes, the communication services of the Army told PANA on Saturday.

The army said the Counterfeit Chief was arrested in Niamana, east of Bamako.

According to the source, the arrested individual, whose identity was not disclosed, is a “false marabout living in Niamana” and the notes recovered from him are “in denominations of 5000 FCFA, 100 euros and 100 US dollars”.

The commander of the gendarmerie region of Bamako, Col. Seydou Kamissoko, first of all congratulated the commander of the Research Brigade on the left bank of Bamako, who carried out this record seizure, thanks to the information gathered in the field from the population.

The army said investigations are underway to apprehend accomplices of the network, described as criminals whose actions are detrimental to the country’s economy. (PANA/NAN)
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