US Secret Service thanks Phuket police for counterfeit-dollar investigations
US officials recognised Phuket police cooperation in cases involving suspected counterfeit US$50 notes and wider transnational crime investigations.
The US Secret Service has thanked Phuket police for their cooperation in investigations into suspected counterfeit US dollar notes and other transnational crimes.
Senior Special Agent and Assistant Attaché Samuel Cloud, representing the US Secret Service in Thailand, met Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pol Maj Gen Sinlert Sukhum at Phuket Provincial Police Headquarters on 22 September 2026. The delegation discussed cooperation between Thai, US and regional law-enforcement agencies on counterfeit currency and cyber fraud.
Certificates of honour were presented to Pol Maj Gen Sinlert and Phuket police investigators involved in major criminal cases over the past three years. Officers recognised included investigators from Wichit, Kamala, Patong and Choeng Thale police stations.
The visit highlighted two Phuket cases involving suspected counterfeit US dollars. In July 2024, Kamala police arrested a 22-year-old Russian woman who allegedly used counterfeit US$50 notes at a currency exchange. Police said they seized another 32 suspected counterfeit US$50 notes from her accommodation. She told officers she did not know the notes were fake and that her father had given them to her.
In March 2025, Wichit police investigated after another Russian woman attempted to exchange US$50 notes. Police seized 38 notes and coordinated with US Embassy officials, including the Secret Service, to establish whether they were genuine.
According to Phuket police, investigations into the two cases contributed to wider inquiries into counterfeit-dollar trafficking networks operating across Southeast Asia.
