Hong Kong police netted tens of thousands of fake 10-HK-dollar coins in a smash of a fake money factory in Tsuen Wan Thursday, according to a Friday's government press release.

The Hong Kong police, together with their counterparts in China's mainland, mounted investigations in September this year into a counterfeit coin syndicate which has been active in taxis, maxi cabs, stores and newspaper vendor stalls for about half a year.

According to the press release, at about 1:45 p.m. Thursday, police officers spotted a man handing over a bag to another man who was suspected to be the mastermind of the syndicate at the entrance to an industrial building on Pak Tin Par Street, Tsuen Wan. The latter then boarded a taxi for Sham Shui Po where he gave the bag to a third man.

At this juncture, the officers intercepted the two men and found about 4,000 suspected fake 10-HK-dollar coins in their possession.

A subsequent search on a unit in the industrial building found 24 molds and three sets of heavy-duty machines believed to have been used to manufacture fake coins. Some 15,000 finished products and about 45,000 semi-finished products were also discovered.

A 55-year-old man suspected to be the technician for manufacturing the coins were apprehended in the unit. Further raids on 19 other locations such as Sham Shui Po and places mainly in Kowloon saw the arrest of three men and seven women, netting 5,000 suspected fake 10-HK-dollar coins.

All the arrested persons, including the mastermind, technician and distributors, will be detained overnight for inquiries. Investigations by the Commercial Crime Bureau are proceeding.

(Xinhua News Agency December 6, 2003)