A Nottingham cabbie suspected his passenger’s £20 note was fake, so he skipped the drop-off and drove him straight to a police station

A Nottingham taxi driver turned a suspicious late-night fare into an unexpected trip to the police station after suspecting his passenger was trying to pay with counterfeit money. The incident happened at around 11:30 p.m. when the unnamed driver picked up a 23-year-old man on Nottingham Road, according to Nottinghamshire Police.

During the journey, the passenger reportedly kept changing his requested route, which led the driver to ask how he intended to pay for the ride. The man handed over a £20 note, but the driver suspected that the money was fake. When the driver questioned the note’s authenticity, the passenger reportedly took out another set of notes from his wallet, which also appeared to be counterfeit.

The driver then decided not to continue the ride, as he suspected the passenger would not pay the fare, and instead took him directly to the police station on Radford Road. Officers then searched the man’s home, where police say they found a knife described as a “Rambo knife” hidden beneath his mattress.

Officers found a knife under his mattress

Police said they did not find any additional counterfeit notes at the property, but they seized a cannabis cultivation kit. The 23-year-old was arrested on suspicion of using counterfeit currency and possessing an offensive weapon in a private place.

Neighbourhood Inspector Liz Gaskin, who covers the Radford area, praised the driver for recognizing the suspicious behavior and acting on his concerns. “This was a fantastic piece of work by a Nottingham taxi driver,” she said.

Gaskin said the driver had noticed the passenger’s behavior and suspected the money was fake before deciding to take him to the police station. She added that the property search uncovered concerning items, including a weapon that police were able to remove from circulation.

The incident comes after Nottinghamshire Police and other forces across the UK warned the public about the rising number of incidents involving counterfeit banknotes, according to the BBC. The police urged citizens to be vigilant.

The Bank of England advises checking several security features together to confirm a note is genuine. Its notes are printed on polymer, a thin and flexible plastic, with raised print on the words “Bank of England.” On the £20 note, the portrait in the main see-through window should have “£20 Bank of England” printed twice around the edge, and there should be a second, smaller window in the bottom corner. The Bank also warns that detector pens do not work on polymer notes.