Sleman Man Arrested After Using Rp 2.2 Million Printer to Counterfeit Money for Small Purchases

A 34-year-old man with the initials JPU has been arrested in Sleman, Yogyakarta, for producing and circulating counterfeit money using a printer he bought for Rp 2.2 million. The printer, a black HP-branded device, was presented as evidence during a press conference at the Sleman Police Station on Thursday (16/7/2026).

According to the Head of Public Relations for the Sleman Police, Iptu Argo Anggoro, the suspect acted entirely alone, handling the counterfeiting, storage, and distribution of the fake notes without any network. Police confiscated 202 counterfeit notes from the suspect, consisting of 153 sheets of Rp 50,000 denomination and 49 sheets of Rp 100,000 denomination. Authorities clarified that the seized items are referred to as sheets rather than by their nominal value, as they are not genuine currency.

The suspect circulated the counterfeit money by making small purchases at village shops in the Tempel area, buying items such as cigarettes and instant noodles. Police managed to recover approximately Rp 250,000 in counterfeit money that had been spent. Iptu Argo explained that JPU deliberately targeted small, outlying shops typically run by elderly individuals who lacked the means to verify the authenticity of the notes, allowing him to obtain goods and genuine money as change.

The scheme was uncovered on 3 July 2026 when the suspect used a counterfeit Rp 50,000 note to buy a pack of 76 kretek cigarettes priced at Rp 18,000, receiving Rp 32,000 in real change. The shopkeeper initially did not suspect anything but later examined the note by feeling and holding it up to the light, concluding it was fake. The victim reported the incident to the Tempel Police, who then verified the note’s inauthenticity at a bank before launching an investigation.

JPU was arrested by the Tempel Police Criminal Investigation Unit at his home in the Ngaglik area of Sleman on 6 July 2026. He is currently detained at the Tempel Police detention centre. The suspect is charged under Article 36, paragraphs 1, 2, and 3 of Law Number 7 of 2011 concerning Currency, in conjunction with Article 374 of Law Number 1 of 2023 on the Criminal Code, and faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.