This story below comes from AP. Much more of this goes on in Syria today but the Syrian authorities could never pin the culprits down (Distributing free fake money increases inflation).
This is the first time actually the Syrian regime captures Syrians involved in destabilization of the economic system, already suffering from burdensome US Sanctions. The part about passing the money to tourists is just Ba’athist propaganda.
Syria arrests 5 people for forging $6 million, planning to pass fake money to tourists
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) – A Syrian security official says five men have been arrested for forging $6 million and planning to pass the fake money to tourists visiting the country.
The official says the men were detained in a raid on a rented apartment in the northern city of Idlib where they kept the machines for making counterfeit $100 bills.
The official said on Tuesday the counterfeit money was to go through a Lebanese middle man who would sell it for $510,000. The official spoke on condition of anonymity, in line with regulations.
He said the raid took place on Saturday and that the investigation is continuing.
The people of Idlib are known for their skills in commerce, so it was not a surprise to hear the effort started in this city, one where many of my own family members make their home. It will not surprise me either if any of the people caught, in this operation, is called al-Ghadri. We drove the Turks crazy during the Ottomans until we were free and we will drive the Assads crazy until we free Syria from this oppressive family.
With today’s copying technologies, it’s rather easy to copy money in one’s basement. Watch for Assad install his own sanctions on Syria when he forbids all the American and the Japanese copying machines from entering the Syrian market. Long live black and white.
Assad keeps complaining about US sanctions but if you compare the sanctions in each column of this table, you will see that Assad has imposed even stricter sanctions on Syria and Syrians than the US and Assad may impose more sanctions later.
| US Sanctions against Syria | Assad May Impose More Sanctions Against Syrians than Already on the Book |
| Products made in the US | Facebook, Twitter, etc.. |
| Take-offs and Landings of Syrian Airlines | Take-off of Syrian Bloggers Land Them in Jails |
| Commercial Bank of Syria | Commercial US Color Copiers (Soon) |
| Assets Freeze of pro-regime Syrians | Travel Freeze against 100,000 Syrians |
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