Counterfeit currency seized on Bangladesh border is hard to detect

Counterfeiters have expertly replicated half of the security features of the new ₹2000 notes, a consignment of Fake Indian Currency Notes seized on the Bangladesh border recently reveals.

The Border Security Force (BSF) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) intercepted four consignments of ₹2000 notes between December 2016 and January this year from areas near Malda district.

With the quality of the fakes improving over time, the seizure has set alarm bells ringing for intelligence agencies and security forces.

“The notes have copied the geometric patterns and the colour scheme both on obverse and the reverse side including watermark, and the exclusive number pattern of the ₹2000 currency. Unlike samples seized elsewhere which were scanned or colour photocopies, these have been printed using sophisticated dyes,” a senior security officer said.

More than half of the 17 RBI-listed security features have been replicated. In genuine currency, there are 13 features on the front (or obverse) side including two for visually impaired and four on the reverse.

Logo, watermark

The samples show that the four features on the reverse side, a motif of Chandrayaan, language panel, Swachh Bharat logo and year of printing, have been copied. On the obverse, the see-through area, denominational numeral in Devnagari, guarantee clause with RBI Governor’s signature, and water mark are replicated.

The fakes, however, do not match on paper quality, and the magenta dye used is a little darker, experts said. The features for visually impaired on fake notes are not usable.

The agencies are apprehensive that more hard-to-spot fake currency may be smuggled in, since over half the features were copied in three months.

“After demonetisation, FICN counterfeiters have focused on ₹2,000 notes. They have not been fully successful, but they are beginning to copy a few features,” P.S.R Anjaneyulu, IG, South Bengal Frontier, BSF, told The Hindu.

BSF and NIA arrested Mohammad Ashraful and Ripon Sheikh from Malda district with the notes, earlier this month.

Some ₹500 fake notes have also come, where the printing is inferior but paper quality and colour closely match the original.

During 2013-2016 FICN with a face value of ₹6.6 crore was seized.