MONTREAL - A Montreal couple has been charged with attempting to smuggle counterfeit cash into Canada.
The investigation began when the Canada Border Services Agency discovered a package filled hundreds of counterfeit bills, along with a large amount of paper covered in black ink.
Further examination showed that many of the black pieces of paper were also counterfeit $20 bills.
That prompted the arrest and arraignment of Lucien Kamgaing Kamdem and Nadège Faustine Noucbibem.
Border official Philippe Recupero says the pair are accused of taking part in what's known as a "black money" scam.
"It's documented in the media where actually groups of individual fraudsters make believe of their victims that the denominations of the currency were masked in order to make it easier to pass through the border," said Recupero.
According to Recupero, con artists clean black ink off a few bills, then convince someone to pay out real money for the black pieces of paper, along with cleaning chemicals.
Border agents say the items were seized before being used.
Kamdem and Noucbibem appeared in court Tuesday to be charged.
They face up to 14 years in prison if convicted.
