DETECTIVES in separate drives in the capital arrested seven members of two fake currency-making gangs that were trying to circulate fake notes ahead of Eid-ul-Azha. They were arrested from Mohammadpur and Farmgate on Monday with around 38 lakh Indian fake currency and Tk 11.50 lakh local notes, said Abdul Baten, joint commissioner of detective branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, at a press briefing at DMP media centre on Tuesday as per reports of a local daily.
The law enforcers also seized five laptops, a laminating machine, security thread, paper and other equipment and ingredients used for printing counterfeit notes. The forgers become active ahead of Eid every year as a lot of money changes hands during the period for shopping. The DB official, however, said people can check their money by fake note detecting devices to be available in the city cattle markets and major shopping malls.
Obtaining security materials used in counterfeit money seems very easy. The counterfeit syndicates in Bangladesh are bringing the special paper from Pakistan and the security threads from India, according to law enforcement. Once the materials are in hand, they take expert support from several former bank officials and with their expertise, the printing of fake bills becomes very smooth.
The notes are produced using sophisticated machines, making the detection almost impossible for a layperson during the mad rush of Eid. One group prepares and supplies the special paper while another group prints the counterfeit notes. A third group circulates them, according to DB investigators who quizzed the criminals. The production cost of fake notes worth Tk 1 lakh ranges between Tk 3,000 and Tk 4,000 while they sold the same amount at Tk 10,000 to Tk 12,000.
Criminals will take every opportunity to make money at any time. But the business of counterfeiting has been going on for so long that it should not be too difficult for the police to figure out who the actual culprits are. Finding and stopping the supply of special paper is one way to stop such counterfeiters. Mass campaigns to enable people to easily find out how notes are fake can be another.
But there are other ways — a machine which can easily distinguish between fake and new notes and can be used easily is needed. It should not be too difficult for Bangladesh Bank to make a note which can be checked easily to figure out its authencity. The US dollar, for example, is made from paper which is not commercially available. A dollar bill can be simply felt to distinguish its authencity. It is printed using techniques that regular offset printing and digital printing (the most popular tools for common counterfeiters) cannot replicate.
In recent times police intelligence has found that besides Pakistanis, some international criminals, especially from Africa, the Philippines and Thailand are also providing technical support to counterfeiters to manufacture fake notes in Bangladesh. So the laws must also be strengthened to ensure that counterfeiting becomes non bailable and carries a strong civil and criminal penalty. Otherwise such gangs will have a field day ahead of Eid.
The law enforcers also seized five laptops, a laminating machine, security thread, paper and other equipment and ingredients used for printing counterfeit notes. The forgers become active ahead of Eid every year as a lot of money changes hands during the period for shopping. The DB official, however, said people can check their money by fake note detecting devices to be available in the city cattle markets and major shopping malls.
Obtaining security materials used in counterfeit money seems very easy. The counterfeit syndicates in Bangladesh are bringing the special paper from Pakistan and the security threads from India, according to law enforcement. Once the materials are in hand, they take expert support from several former bank officials and with their expertise, the printing of fake bills becomes very smooth.
The notes are produced using sophisticated machines, making the detection almost impossible for a layperson during the mad rush of Eid. One group prepares and supplies the special paper while another group prints the counterfeit notes. A third group circulates them, according to DB investigators who quizzed the criminals. The production cost of fake notes worth Tk 1 lakh ranges between Tk 3,000 and Tk 4,000 while they sold the same amount at Tk 10,000 to Tk 12,000.
Criminals will take every opportunity to make money at any time. But the business of counterfeiting has been going on for so long that it should not be too difficult for the police to figure out who the actual culprits are. Finding and stopping the supply of special paper is one way to stop such counterfeiters. Mass campaigns to enable people to easily find out how notes are fake can be another.
But there are other ways — a machine which can easily distinguish between fake and new notes and can be used easily is needed. It should not be too difficult for Bangladesh Bank to make a note which can be checked easily to figure out its authencity. The US dollar, for example, is made from paper which is not commercially available. A dollar bill can be simply felt to distinguish its authencity. It is printed using techniques that regular offset printing and digital printing (the most popular tools for common counterfeiters) cannot replicate.
In recent times police intelligence has found that besides Pakistanis, some international criminals, especially from Africa, the Philippines and Thailand are also providing technical support to counterfeiters to manufacture fake notes in Bangladesh. So the laws must also be strengthened to ensure that counterfeiting becomes non bailable and carries a strong civil and criminal penalty. Otherwise such gangs will have a field day ahead of Eid.
