The Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) conducted a special investigation during which they recovered R3.5m in counterfeit bank notes on Friday.

The operation began with officers following a convoy of four suspicious looking cars travelling along Arcadia Street.

Upon searching one the vehicles, the TMPD members found a counterfeit R100 bill.

After questioning suspects, the officers were led to a premises in Stanza Bopape street where the counterfeit money was being stored.

Counterfeit money is a lucrative market in South Africa.

Here is how you can spot if the money you are using is fake:

According to the South African Reserve Bank, the following can be observed on the face of genuine bank notes.

– You need to be able to feel the raised lines on the front bottom-left and right-hand side of the note.

– Check for two matching numbers on the back of the note.

– The ink contained within the big number on the front of the note changes colour when viewed from different angles.

– You should also be able to see a watermark of Nelson Mandela when looking at the front of the note and holding it towards a light source.

– You should be able to feel raised printing on Mandela’s face on the front of the note.

– There are a series of “little dots” you should be able to see on the front-left and back-right of the note.

– The shiny security thread down the centre of the note should change colour when viewing it from a different angle.

– You should be able to see a “complete animal” on the bottom-left of the note when holding it towards a light source.