Police bust suspected fake dollar factory in Ondo

The police in Ondo State have uncovered a suspected facility used for producing counterfeit US dollar notes in Odigbo Local Government Area, arresting one person in connection with the operation.

The suspect, Peter Desmond, was apprehended at a property in Kiniso Village, near Ajue, where officers also seized three bags of suspected fake dollar bills and other items believed to be linked to the illegal business.

The development was announced by the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, in a statement released on Tuesday.

Jimoh said the breakthrough followed a fraud complaint submitted by Yusuf Nasiru, a resident of Sabo, Okitipupa, on October 28, 2026.

Nasiru told the police that two men, Desmond and Olami Toro, had visited his shop on October 25, seeking to exchange dollars for naira.

He reportedly gave them $6,000, worth about ₦8.6 million, but the men later returned the foreign currency, claiming they could not raise enough naira to complete the deal.

The complainant subsequently discovered that the notes handed back to him were fake and alerted the police.

Jimoh said detectives at the Okitipupa Divisional Police Headquarters began investigating the complaint and eventually tracked Desmond to the suspected production site through intelligence gathering and technical surveillance.

Police operatives stormed the location on October 29, but other individuals found at the premises reportedly escaped by jumping over the perimeter fence.

During a search, officers recovered three bags of suspected counterfeit US dollars and a small wooden box, which were taken away for investigation.

The police said Desmond remained in custody and was providing information to assist investigators in uncovering further details about the alleged operation.