NOTTINGHAM, England – A 23-year-old man in the UK ended his late-night taxi journey with a stay in police custody – after he tried to use counterfeit money to pay for the ride.
Unfortunately for him, the taxi driver immediately realised the £20 (S$34) note he was handed was fake due to the way it felt in his hands, said the Nottinghamshire Police.
When he questioned his passenger about the cash, however, the man gave him more counterfeit notes.
The would-be fraudster had initially booked the ride from Nottingham Road at 11.30pm on Oct 13 and continued to change his route, prompting the driver to ask him how he would be paying.
Rather than taking him to his final intended destination, after receiving the fake money, the driver drove him straight to the Radford Road police station where he was arrested on suspicion of using counterfeit currency.
He is also suspected of possessing an offensive weapon in a private place after police searched his address and discovered a ‘Rambo’ knife, a survival knife modelled after the main weapon used by popular film character John Rambo.
A cannabis cultivation kit was also discovered at the address, though no other counterfeit notes were found, the police said.
Nottinghamshire Police Neighbourhood Inspector Liz Gaskin praised the taxi driver’s actions as “a fantastic piece of work”.
She added: “We were of course happy to help, and following a search of the individual’s property uncovered further concerning behaviour, which included taking a dangerous weapon out of circulation.”
Nottinghamshire is a county located in the heart of England, and is famous for being where Sherwood Forest, home of the Robin Hood legend, is located.