Badung Police Seize 1,305 Counterfeit Rp100,000 Notes at Mengwi Market

Badung, Bali — Police in Badung have arrested a 53-year-old man identified by his initials, PN, after allegedly circulating counterfeit Rp100,000 banknotes at Mengwi Market and seizing a total of 1,305 fake notes with a face value of Rp130.5 million, according to reports published on August 28, 2026.

PN was detained after allegedly using a counterfeit Rp100,000 note to buy Rp35,000 worth of cooking paper from a trader at Mengwi Market. The trader, identified as Dedi in one report, became suspicious after hearing about a disturbance elsewhere in the market involving a suspected counterfeit transaction and later found the note to be fake.

Local residents detained PN and handed him to officers from the Mengwi Police Criminal Investigation Unit at around 5:30 a.m., according to the English-language report. Police in Badung said PN admitted possessing and spending counterfeit Rp100,000 notes despite knowing they were fake.

Six traders affected, losses put at Rp600,000

Police said at least six traders at Mengwi Market were affected by the alleged circulation of the counterfeit money. Combined losses at the market were estimated at about Rp600,000 after PN allegedly used the fake notes to buy meat, mung beans and other goods.

A subsequent search linked to the investigation led officers to seize a total of 1,305 counterfeit Rp100,000 notes along with Rp9.98 million in genuine cash and a Samsung mobile phone. Investigators believe the genuine money may have come from change received during transactions in which PN used counterfeit notes.

Obtained via Facebook, alleged activity in July

Police said PN, described as a private-sector employee living in Beraban, Tabanan, obtained the counterfeit notes via a transaction arranged through Facebook. According to the reports, PN told investigators he paid Rp10 million in genuine currency to receive 1,000 counterfeit Rp100,000 notes, effectively exchanging real cash for Rp100 million in fake banknotes.

Investigators were still tracing the social media account allegedly used to offer the counterfeit notes, and neither report identified any alleged supplier being arrested. Police in Badung said the circulation of the counterfeit cash at Mengwi Market took place between July 1 and July 26, 2026.

The two outlets gave differing accounts of the arrest date: one report stated that PN was arrested after using a counterfeit note at Mengwi Market on August 26, 2026, while another placed the arrest on July 26, 2026. Both agreed that the alleged circulation involved Mengwi Market and that officers seized 1,305 counterfeit Rp100,000 notes.

Criminal charges and police warning

Police said PN was charged under Article 375 paragraphs 1 and 2 of Indonesia’s Criminal Code, Law No. 1 of 2023, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison for circulating counterfeit rupiah. Officers also identified him as a recidivist with a previous criminal case outside Bali, although the reports did not provide details of any prior conviction.

Authorities urged traders and business operators to carefully check large-denomination notes before accepting them, recommending the commonly promoted “3D” method — to look at, touch and hold the banknote up to the light — to help distinguish genuine rupiah from counterfeit currency.

Sources

• The Bali Times
• IDN Times Bali
• Bank Indonesia education page on handling counterfeit rupiah