Fraud and Crime: Barrie police seize $1.5 million in counterfeit cash
Courtesy Barrie360.com
By Ian MacLennan, March 31, 2026
Barrie police say a business deal gone bad has led to two arrests and a massive counterfeit cash bust.
Investigators say this started late last year, when police were alerted to a private business sale in which the owner accepted a large cash down payment in Canadian currency, only to discover later the money was fake.
Police began an investigation, which led officers to a home in Whitby last Friday.
Authorities executed a search warrant last Friday that resulted in the seizure of counterfeit currency with a face value of about $1.5 million.
A 51-year-old man has been charged with the following:
- fraud over $5,000
- possession of counterfeit money (x2)
- making or having or dealing in instruments for counterfeiting
- making counterfeit currency
A 32-year-old woman has been charged with:
- possession of counterfeit money (x2)
- making or having or dealing in instruments for counterfeiting
- making counterfeit currency
The investigation is ongoing.