India said on Friday that it had strong suspicions that a sudden increase in fake currency notes currently circulating in Indian markets had their origin in Pakistan. In a presentation, at the ongoing four-day police conference organised by the Intelligence Bureau (IB), concern was expressed over the fact that all fake currency notes seized by the police had security features making it hard even for banks to detect them.
The forensic examination of the seized notes indicated a uniformity in notesÂ’ security features, the meeting was told.
“It can be inferred that the notes originate from the same source and there is a strong suspicion that it may be from Pakistan,” it was said in the presentation.
Security features that govts alone can design: It said the replication of many security features showed the involvement of sophisticated elements with a proper support and paraphernalia “only available with governments”.
The conference was told that security agencies had seized fake currency notes worth Rs 100 million this year alone and that it was only the tip of the iceberg.
The presentation also said that fake currency notes were being smuggled from different “trans-shipment points such as United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Nepal”.
They are also being smuggled from land routes through Nepal, Bangladesh and Kashmir, train routes through Atari and Munabao-Khakrapar and even by air, it said. “In two recent cases, fake currency notes were transported in containers by sea,” it said.