Man arrested in Japan's 1st new yen bill forgery case

A man has been arrested for allegedly using a counterfeit version of a newly issued banknote, police said, in the first arrest of its kind involving a renewed bill touted as having improved security features.

Mizuki Saito, 27, is suspected of using a counterfeit 10,000 yen bill on Feb 10 to purchase coffee and cigarettes at a convenience store in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward. The police said Saito has admitted to the allegation.

According to the police, Saito appears to have produced bills with a home-use printer. Along with the printer, more than 50 fake 10,000 and 5,000 yen notes were confiscated from his residence in Tokyo, the police said.

A store employee called police after noticing the bill was missing a watermark and its hologram did not reflect light, according to the police.

Japan issued new versions of its 10,000, 5,000 and 1,000 yen banknotes in July, in the first revamp for two decades. The new bills have improved anti-counterfeit technology including three-dimensional holograms of the historical figures printed on them.

The police are also investigating Saito's possible connection to counterfeit bills used for payment at other convenience stores and in taxis in the capital since February.

The police said fake bills with matching serial numbers to the one used in the Feb. 10 incident have been found.

© KYODO