U.S. Leader Barack Obama congratulated and thanked the Government of Peru for its efforts to combat and break up criminal gangs involved in counterfeiting dollars, Interior Minister Carlos Basombrio informed on Saturday.
Remarks were made during the audience he held with his Peruvian counterpart Pedro Pablo Kuczynski at the Convention Center in San Borja district, on the sidelines of the APEC Leaders’ Summit.
“President Obama praised Peru, mainly our sector, for the massive actions we conducted to detect counterfeit money,” Basombrio stated.
Thanks to months of work by Peru’s Criminal Investigation Department (DIRINCRI), almost all gangs engaged in counterfeiting dollars, euros and soles in Peru have been defeated.
Actions were conducted by the National Police in cooperation of the United States Secret Service.
“We have arrested 50 leaders, and seized offset, printers, all the system. We have struck a phenomenal blow,” Interior Ministry’s head said.
He estimates the volume of counterfeiting operations reached 70%. The goal is to eliminate these organizations and forge foreign currency production entirely.
“I feel honored as a result of President Obama’s remarks and gratitude to Peru, and President Kuczynski is fully aware of this operation,” he commented.
In addition to Basombrio, the meeting saw the participation of Peru’s Prime Minister Fernando Zavala, second Vice-President Mercedes Araoz and Foreign Affairs Minister Ricardo Luna.
(END) LIT/RMB/MVB
Published: 11/19/2016