POLICE are warning traders and the public to look carefully at pa'anga notes before accepting them, after a number of counterfeit $50 notes were discovered in Nuku'alofa last week.

An alert has also been issued by the National Reserve Bank of Tonga.

A Nuku'alofa supermarket discovered five $50 counterfeit notes that were handed over to police last week and a bank also discovered more of the counterfeit $50 notes in circulation.

Acting Police Commissioner Taniela Faletau said yesterday that the police were investigating these two incidents reported by the JM Store and the ANZ Bank in Nuku'alofa.

He said they had to date received five counterfeit $50 notes from the JM Store. At the same time ANZ Bank had also reported to them $50 counterfeit notes found from pay-ins to the bank, but they were still investigating as to how many notes.

The Police warned the public to be more careful when dealing with Tongan pa'anga notes. There have been previous incidents counterfeit notes in Tonga in the past.

The Acting Police Commissioner said the public should take note of certain security features on the Tongan pa'anga notes to ensure they are genuine. These security feature a watermark of the King's image visible when the note is held to the light, a security thread embedded inside the note, and visible silver dashes on the fonts of the $1, $2, $5, $10 and $50 notes and the initials of NRBT.

"Counterfeit money has zero value," he stressed to the public.

In the meantime the police had not arrested or charged anyone relating to the counterfeit notes but investigation continues.

Crimes

Last week 52 crimes were reported in the period from September 12-18 a decrease from the 81 crimes reported the previous week in Tonga.

Theft and forgery were the most reported cases with 11 cases followed by 10 housebreaks, six assaults, one indecent assault and one falsification of accounts.