Ontario Man Was Arrested For Allegedly Bringing Thousands Of Fake Toonies Into The Country

The RCMP has charged an Ontario man after thousands of counterfeit toonies were discovered in Canada.

Last summer, the Royal Canadian Mint noticed an "ongoing counterfeit currency issue through their random sampling process," a May 9 press release from police reads.

The RCMP's Greater Toronto Area Trans-National Serious & Organized Crime Section began an investigation to identify those involved. Following the investigation, they seized about 10,000 counterfeit toonies that made it into the Canadian banking system.

"It is suspected that there are additional counterfeit coins in the currency system and that the coins originate from China," RCMP said.

So, how do you tell the difference between a real toonie and a fake one?

Comparison between a real Canadian toonie and a counterfeit toonie.RCMP O Division

Well, by looking at the polar bear's paw. The RCMP said that the bear on the fake counterfeit coins has a "split-toe" on the right front paw that makes it look more like a claw.

"The unique features on Canada's circulation coins make them among the most secure in the world and allowed these counterfeit pieces to be identified and removed from circulation quickly," James Malizia, vice president of corporate security at the Royal Canadian Mint, said in a statement.

The RCMP said they arrested 68-year-old Daixiong He. He has been charged with uttering counterfeit money, contrary to Section 452 of the Criminal Code, and possession of counterfeit money, contrary to Section 450 of the Criminal Code.

He was released on an undertaking, and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Newmarket on June 2.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.