Counterfeit £5 Notes

Gisborne Times, Volume LXV, Issue 10304, 13 January 1927, Page 6

Counterfeit £5 Notes

PLANT IN MELBOURNE

THREE YOUNG MEN ARRESTED

SYDNEY, Dec. 30

The most complete plans to issue counterfeit notes discovered in Australia for many years are alleged to have been uncovered W. Melbourne detectives recently, after ?. month’s investigation. Plant for the manufacture of the notes ius found in a chemist’s shop at Canfield, a suburb of Melbourne, and three men were arrested, including the owner of the shop. . . . About a month ago the Criminal Investigation Branch learnt that preparations were being made in one of the suburbs for the production or counterfeit notes cn a large scale. Two detectives were derailed, to make inquiries, and after a "ow uajs they succeeded in obtaining possession of partiallv completed counterfeit- £5 notes. It was also learnt that it was the intention of the ' ounterfeiters to pass off at first about lOOfl c.f the notes. The detectives g> r dl allv liarrowed their lines of inquiry until they discovered where a counterfeit plant was installed, and they i ept it under observation for several clays. Two parties of detectives raided the chemist’s shop, one through the front Joor and the other tluough the back. Both parties rushed into n back room where there were two men. One, it is alleged, was turning a handle connected with a metal rober, which moved backwards and forwards o'ei a marble slab. The mechanism was so qjframred that as the roller turned, the marble slab moved automatically in the same direction. Examining the apparatus later, the detectives found a few inches apart on the marble slat) copies of the f; co and back of a £5 note. In n search of the room, the detectives found a large number of sheets of paper somewhat similar to those used in making genuine notes, and. cut to the size of a five pound note. Printed in ora ace capitals in the centre of manv of the sheets v.as the word “five*” Several of the sheets had printed on one side a copy of the face of a £5 note. Close scrutiny, ft is said, revealed that'the c.< pv differed in only one particular from a genuine note—one letter in a small line of print at the bottom of the note was misplaced. Also found in the room were many tins Lotties, rnd jars rf fives and inks, a. 'oei.ud marble slab considerably ; me.p ed with green 0 „d block ink. and a hr ok entitled “Pi- ict ica 1 lii t hear a phy. ’ ’ The thr°e men on,•Med weio: Lance Phillip Skelton, aged 2-1 years, sign writer; John Emiieis Giihgnn, o-v.-d 9j vp-ip. eh-opst; and Hov Plova+in :ved i'.fi '.oars. paper mer-liant. Thev v-me released < n bail Wl.on their -mines v. m e called in Coii'-t*the following dav. Gdlignn was missing. His bail -vp csl-.en.ted, but he lias not vet been • pprmvended.