Father and son duo from Holmfirth who masterminded £900,000 plus counterfeit currency operation convicted at Leeds Crown Court

Investigating officers deduced the pair had the materials used to produce around £977,000 of forged old style paper bank notes and it is believed they were intended for sale to contacts in the criminal underworld. Christopher Gaunt, 58, and his son Jordan, 27, were sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on December 13 after pleading guilty to manufacturing counterfeit bank notes from a premises in Holmfirth.

Both pleaded guilty to the making of counterfeit currency with intent to pass or tender as genuine following a joint investigation by West Yorkshire Police and the National Counterfeit Currency Unit (UKNCO) at the National Crime Agency (NCA). Christopher was sentenced to six and a half years in prison for the currency offence and possession with intent to supply cannabis, meanwhile Jordan was given a two-year suspended sentence for the currency offence.

Investigations into the pair began back in 2020. The NCA had been making enquiries into the suspected circulation of counterfeit bank notes and contacted the Kirklees Proceeds of Crime Team. Enquiries led to Christopher’s arrest on October 8, 2020.

A search of Christopher’s Bank Street home led to the discovery of around £200,000 worth of forged old style paper currency as well as production equipment and a cannabis factory. Forgeries included a variety of notes, including English and Scottish currency. Another search conducted on the same day of a different premises managed by him in Wakefield Road in Scissett led to the recovery of more equipment, including dyes and printers, that are used in the production of forgeries. Christopher’s son Jordan was arrested afterwards.

DI Simon Reddington of West Yorkshire Police’s Programme Precision said: "Evidence of the circulation of forgeries in West Yorkshire was brought to police attention by the NCA and this case is an example of what partnership work between national and local law enforcement can achieve. As a district and a force we work closely with the NCA, and this case has been one of many we have collaborated on to tackle serious criminality in our district. There is no doubt this 'cash' was being used to fund crime in communities and it is a good thing for residents that this supply chain has been broken."

The West Yorkshire Police investigation was led by PC Connor of the Kirklees Proceeds of Crime Team. In an official statement released by West Yokshire Police, PC Connor said: "Christopher and Jordan Gaunt masterminded a sophisticated and clearly very lucrative counterfeit currency ring from within the heart of a small West Yorkshire tourist town, and they deserve their sentences today.

"Upon searching Christopher Gaunt's properties we uncovered large amounts of kit used for making copies of older style paper bank notes, as well as £200,000 of notes almost ready to ship. His son Jordan was involved in helping him create this fake currency which was clearly intended to go straight into the pockets of organised criminals.”