Tu told the police that the group had been colluding to use the fake money and pocket the change given at small transactions. He said that Tam and Thang, who are husband and wife, had given the rest of the group the bills.

The 24-year-old said he joined the ring in September last year after Hung introduced him to Tam and Thang.

Tam gave him a fake VND500,000 note every day and he was paid VND100,000 in real money so long as he gave Thang VND450,000 or more in change from use of the counterfeit bill. He sometimes used more than one fake bill in a day.

Tu was apprehended on January 8 and police caught up with Thang, 35, the same day. Thang was carrying nearly VND15 million in real money when he was apprehended.

Thang said she had already given Tu, Tinh, Hung and Hau 11 fake VND500,000 notes to spend, some in Tien Giang Province, also in the delta.

Tinh and Hung were arrested later in Ho Chi Minh City while Hau gave himself up to the police last Friday and Tam was caught on Monday.

Tam was released from the prison in 2007 after serving time for using counterfeit money.

The case was the second counterfeit ring Dong Thap police had busted this year.

According to investigators, evidence in the case had been hard to come by as members of the ring were only given one bill at a time and could easily lie that they had been given the bill by vendors or retailers.

Source: VNA