Three forged cheques busted

A timely alert signal sent out by No. 118 Public Security Emergency (PSE) based in the Ministry of Public Security has resulted in the detection of three forged cheques, presented at two Bank of Ceylon offices in Fort and Digana, Kandy.

The Public Security Emergency No. 118 has received information from an informant that three forged cheques have been presented, two at the Cheque Clearance Centre of the Bank of Ceylon headquarters and another at the 2nd Kandy City branch at Digana on April 28.

The PSE forthwith informed the Fort Police and the Kandy police who have launched an investigation. A team from the Fort police visited the Bank of Ceylon's cheque clearance unit and found two forged cheques. The Teldeniya police too has visited the Bank of Ceylon Digana branch and found one forged cheque presented at the branch.

Police investigations have revealed that all these forged cheques have borne the imprint of the Bank of Ceylon, Kalutara branch. The bank's name has been incorrectly mentioned in Tamil. The sizes of the cheques, colour are different to that of the genuine BoC cheques and minus the water marks.

The total value of the amounts mentioned in the three cheques is said to be over three lakhs of rupees. Bank of Ceylon officials as well as the Fort and Teldeniya police are conducting investigations into the matter to apprehend the culprits and how these forged cheques have escaped detection.

According to a further report received by 118, the Teldeniya police have questioned the BoC, Digana branch manager and a businessman who have reportedly presented the cheques.

The Colombo Fraud Bureau and the CID have also been sounded on the detection of these forged cheques.