17 Feb 2014

Money man for separatist Bougainville group held in Port Moresby

7:38 pm on 17 February 2014

Papua New Guinea authorities are holding an American man who allegedly tried to smuggle fake money into Bougainville from the United States on Saturday.

American citizen Barry Keith Webb flew in from Manila to Port Moresby with plans to continue to Buka.

The Post Courier says he was detained by airport authorities who found a brief case with newly printed counterfeit money, so called Bougainville kina.

Mr Webb had documents from King David Pei II who for years has claimed to head an independent Bougainville state based in the south of the province.

The documents supposedly authorise Mr Webb to represent the central bank of this breakaway state.