TALLINN — Five amateur counterfeiters who made 8,500 krooni (€543) on their home printer and used it to buy a car have been apprehended by police.

The five criminals printed the 500 krooni notes on a standard home printer available from shops.

On Dec. 8 and 9, the Northern Police Prefecture Office of Economic Crimes captured the five felons, aged between 19 and 23.

The suspects used the printer, which was seized during the arrests, to print the fake notes, police reported.

Northern Police Prefecture press spokesman Martin Luige told Baltic Reports that the money was printed with instruments sold in regular stores and conceded that the notes were of bad quality.

“The notes were printed with a printer that everybody can buy in the stores,” Luige said.

Despite the fact that the notes were homemade and of very low quality, the counterfeiters managed to buy the car.

“It was not comparable with real money, but somehow they managed to use it in stores and at the market,” Luige said.

It is unknown what the criminals intended to do with the vehicle.