Two conmen tried to sell a ‘magic’ liquid, which they claimed transformed paper into euro bank notes, to a petrol station owner in the Barlavento region of the Algarve.
To prove their claim, they carried out a cunning deception by dipping black paper into a container of the miracle liquid and then into a second container of water which appeared to result in the production of notes of €20 and €50.
The two crooks, said to be of dual nationality (Portuguese and a Portuguese-speaking African country) demanded €20,000 to supply the liquid which they said they had bought in Spain.
Their plan went wrong when the 66-year-old filling station owner was approached at a later date for the second time; this time he was dubious about the claims and alerted the police.
One of the swindlers, aged 27, was arrested and the second has been identified by the Polícia Judiciária.
