The Eastern Magistracy has jailed a 26-year-old man for 12 months for conspiracy to pass counterfeit banknotes.

The court heard that on March 26, the man patronised a bank on Chung On Street in Tsuen Wan to exchange 200 $1,000 banknotes. The teller suspected some of the banknotes were counterfeit and a report was made to Police. They arrested the man at the bank and seized the banknotes.

The Commercial Crime Bureau's investigation confirmed that 20 of the bills seized were a new variation of the 2000 and 2002 series HSBC $1,000 counterfeit banknotes. The man told Police another man asked him to exchange the banknotes for a $3,000 reward.

All of the seized notes, including the genuine bills, were confiscated. Police have charged another two men with a similar offence and they are awaiting trial.