Trinidad and Tobago police on Wednesday said they had detained two suspects, including a member of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force, and seized a quantity of United States (US) and Trinidad and Tobago (TT) currencies.

The police said that “a victim” had reported to them that he met a man at a hotel on the outskirts of Port of Spain on Tuesday to purchase US$10,000.

“He said he first purchased US$6,000 paying a sum of TT$42,600, and then made an additional purchase of US$4,000, paying a sum of TT$28,400,” the police said in a statement, adding that,

“After the seller left, the victim made checks of the currency with a UV light and found the bills to be fake.”

The police said that the victim, contacted the seller to make an additional purchase and upon his arrival at the hotel, the suspect, a 24-year-old soldier, was arrested by officers.

“Based on inquiries, officers arrested another suspect, aged 45, who was found in possession of US$1,750.

A subsequent search of his house resulted in the discovery of US$3,800 and TT$14,000 in a bedroom,” the statement added.