Compiled from: Taishan Intermediate Court, Red Star News
 
"There are thousands of ways to get rich, but obeying the law comes first." Two young men born after 2000, unwilling to work hard for wealth, chose crooked paths to make money and ended up on the fast track to prison. Recently, the Taishan District Court in Shandong concluded a first-instance trial of a counterfeiting currency case, sentencing the two defendants to ten years in prison, confiscating illegal gains, and seizing counterfeit currency and tools.

 
 

Case review
Defendant Wang, born in 2000, and defendant Zhou, born in 2002, both dropped out of junior high school. In 2021, Wang and Zhou discussed ways to get money without hard work and decided on counterfeiting currency. They pooled funds, found a "master" online who taught counterfeiting techniques, traveled to Henan to learn the craft, and purchased tools and raw materials. From May to August of the same year, they rented a house as a base to produce counterfeit currency and sold some of it. On August 20, 2021, police arrested them, seized a batch of tools, and found 84 unfinished 20-yuan notes from the 2005 series, totaling 1,680 yuan, and 867 100-yuan notes from the 2005 series, totaling 86,700 yuan. These notes were identified as counterfeit by the Taian Central Sub-branch of the People's Bank of China. Additionally, Wang illegally profited 6,000 yuan from counterfeiting, and Zhou profited 8,000 yuan.

 
 

The court found that defendants Wang and Zhou, by forging a particularly large amount of currency, disrupted the financial management order, and their actions constituted the crime of counterfeiting currency. Given that after being apprehended by the public security authorities, they truthfully confessed their criminal facts, showing candor, admitting guilt and accepting punishment, and being first-time and occasional offenders, they may be given a lighter punishment according to law. The aforementioned judgment was thus rendered.
 
 
"Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China"
Article 170
Whoever counterfeits currency shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than three years but not more than ten years, and shall also be fined; under any of the following circumstances, shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than ten years or life imprisonment, and shall also be fined or have property confiscated:
(1) Being a principal ringleader of a counterfeiting currency group;
(2) Counterfeiting a particularly large amount of currency;
(3) Having other particularly serious circumstances.

 
 

[1] The author's perspective
The crime of counterfeiting currency refers to acts that violate national currency management regulations, imitate the shape, color, patterns, and other features of currency, use various illegal means to produce counterfeit money that is visually convincing enough to deceive, undermine the public trust in currency, and disrupt financial management order. The circulation of counterfeit money in society can also cause property losses to others.
 
As the saying goes, a gentleman loves wealth but obtains it in a proper way. Remember that the red line of the law must not be crossed. Those who fantasize about getting something for nothing and attempt to make illegal profits by producing counterfeit money will face severe legal punishment. In this case, two young men born after 2000, who were at an age to be proactive and work hard, were blinded by greed and embarked on this path of no return. It is evident that the two involved did not become rich by counterfeiting money but instead ended up with a ten-year prison sentence for committing the crime. How tragic and counterproductive this is! Hopefully, this serves as a warning to those with improper intentions. Additionally, if anyone receives counterfeit money in daily life, they should promptly hand it over to a bank or public security authority to prevent its continued circulation and further harm.