9,250 fake notes of Rs 2,000 seized so far

The new Rs 2,000 note has been introduced only in November last year after demonetisation but authorities have seized around 9,250 fake notes of this denomination so far.

As per MHA statistics placed in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Gujarat tops the list in the seizure of 4,487 fake notes with a face value of Rs 2,000 each.

Besides 9,254 fake notes of Rs 2,000, authorities have also seized 14,175 fake notes of Rs 500, both new and demonetised notes.

The face value of fake notes of Rs 2,000 and Rs 500 seized is Rs 2.55 crore, according to a written reply in the Lower House.

In the seizures of Rs 2,000 fake notes, authorities seized 2,746 notes in Mizoram and 1,308 in West Bengal.

Gujarat also topped the list on Rs 500 fake notes with the seizure of 9,621 such notes followed by West Bengal (3,659).

In Jammu and Kashmir where terror handlers use fake notes to fund terror strikes, authorities seized 99 fake notes of face value of Rs 2,000 each and 128 notes of face value of Rs 500 each.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Hanraj Ahir said the Unlawful Activities  (Prevention) Act 1967 criminalises the production or smuggling of circulation of high quality fake Indian paper currency, coin or any other material as a terrorist act.

A special FICN Coordination Group has been formed by the Ministry of Home Affairs to share intelligence among different security agencies to counter the problem of circulation of counterfeit notes, Ahir said.