The fake currency notes recovered by the special cell on Thursday from southwest Delhi had 11 out of 15 security features embedded in Indian currency which would have made it “almost impossible” for a common man to discern them from the original ones.
So much similarity has sent alarm bells ringing throughout the security establishment since it has also been found that the ink and paper used for printing the fake notes in Faisalabad, Pakistan, was of “almost same quality” as used by Reserve Bank of India to print its notes.
“When we examined the notes, it was found that all the fake notes featured 11 out of the 15 security imprints embedded in the original notes. These fake notes were not easily detectable and the only distinguishing feature for a common man was that the notes were printed on a slightly thicker paper than the original,” a top special cell officer said.
The notes printed by the RBI have 15 special features (some are classified) embedded in its notes which include watermark, security thread, latent image, micro lettering, intaglio printing, identification mark, fluorescence, optically variable ink and see-through register, among others.
“The problem arises because the counterfeiters gain expertise after copying the same security feature repeatedly and over time become successful in replicating the feature,” a source said.
Compared with Indian currency, the American dollar has only 11 security features but these features are very hard to replicate on counterfeited currency.
“Over the years, there has been no change in the security features on Indian currency notes which has enabled counterfeiters to copy these features and make the notes look as good as original,” a senior special cell officer said.
Asked whether the matter was raised with the RBI officials, the official said, “Whatever we think should be done to prevent counterfeiting of Indian currency is shared with the authorities. They have to take a call”.
The special cell had seized `2.24 crores fake currency from Sitapuri in Dabri area which was allegedly sent by Iqbal Kana, an Indian based in Pakistan, through the porous Indo-Nepal border to “destabilise” Indian economy and to “wage war” against the country. Two persons, identified as Ash Mohammed and Zeeshan Khan, were arrested in the case while the driver of one of the two tempos, Mahesh, is being questioned but has not been arrested.