Two women executed for forging money

Two women were executed late last month for producing fake banknotes worth 286 million yuan ($45.39 million) in Huilai county, Guangdong province, the Guangzhou Daily reported.

Fang Ruifeng, 38, and Wu Yuling, 49, two villagers from Huilai's Qianzhan township produced the fake banknotes in a small factory at an abalone farm from late 2007 to early 2009.

The counterfeit operation introduced about 140 million yuan of the forged notes into circulation, local police said.

"In addition to Guangdong province, the fake banknotes have also been found in the provinces of Zhejiang, Sichuan, Shandong and Hunan in the last few years. The serial numbers all begin with HD90, HB90 and DF39," local police said.

Police broke up the counterfeit operation on April 11, 2009, detaining 15 suspects, including Fang, one of the heads of the gang. Wu, the other head, escaped but was later captured.

Police seized counterfeit notes with a face value of 81.1 million yuan, as well as machinery. Police officers later seized another 140 million yuan worth of fake notes in a raid of four warehouses in the tiny seaside township.

The gang took advantage of the noise from the electric generators at the abalone farm to cover the noise made by their machines. They also soundproofed the walls of their factory with cotton blankets.

Fang and Wu were sentenced to death by the Jieyang Intermediate People's Court late last year. All of their assets were also confiscated.

Fang and Wu, both junior high school graduates, appealed the sentence, but the Guangdong High People's Court upheld the verdict. The two were executed on May 18 after their sentences were examined and approved by the Supreme People's Court.