Man charged over €300,000 currency forgery

A man has appeared at Belfast Magistrates Court over the seizure of around €300,000 of counterfeit bank notes in Co Antrim on…

A man has appeared at Belfast Magistrates Court over the seizure of around €300,000 of counterfeit bank notes in Co Antrim on Tuesday.

Mr Lawrence Wray (41), Veddegan Road, Newtownabbey, was charged with producing counterfeit euro and sterling notes and having them at his home.

He was also charged with possessing equipment used to forge currency, including computer equipment, a paper cutting machine, a hot foil machine and foil stamps.

Mr Wray was freed on bail to reappear in court on October 3rd.

A 36-year-old woman, also from Newtownabbey, has been charged with money laundering. She has been released on bail and will appear in court at a later date.

Both were arrested on Tuesday after officers from the PSNI serious crimes division discovered what they described as a "major counterfeit currency operation" at a house in the Co Antrim town.

  • Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date

  • Sign up for push alerts to get the best breaking news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone

  • Listen to In The News podcast daily for a deep dive on the stories that matter