The District Court has jailed a 52-year-old Taiwanese man two years for passing counterfeit banknotes.

On June 9, 2004, he patronised a money exchange shop on Bute Street, Mong Kok, to exchange 30 US$100 banknotes. The shopkeeper found they were counterfeit and reported it. The man fled before Police arrived.

He was arrested when entering Hong Kong from Macau on April 27. He was charged with one count of passing counterfeit banknotes the next day and appeared in Kwun Tong Magistracy.

The case was transferred to District Court on June 15 and he pleaded guilty to the charge before being sentenced today.