BSF in talks with RBI to train jawans to identify fake notes

BSF is in talks with Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for imparting training to its troopers for identifying fake notes smuggled through Indo-Bangla border.

The paramilitary force and intelligence agencies are having sleepless nights over consignments of counterfeit Rs 2,000 notes being seized from the border in past one month.

"The amount of counterfeit notes that has been recovered by security agencies is a matter of concern. The security features have been expertly replicated, half of the security features of the new Rs 2,000 notes is there in the fake notes. We are in talks with RBI for a training program for our soldiers and officers on ground duty for identifying fake Rs 2,000 notes. Hope we will be able to do it very soon," a senior BSF official told Press Trust of India on condition of anonymity.

"We want our soldiers and officers to have a proper idea on how to identify fake and real notes, either by use of technology or physically. There are 17 features in the Rs 2,000 notes, we want our jawans to be well trained in spotting fake notes, even with a high number of security features replicated," another BSF official said.

The booming trade in fake Indian currency notes using the porous Indo-Bangla border especially in the Malda-Murshidabad district was believed to have taken a hit after demonetisation of Rs 1,000 and 500 notes.

But alarm bells rang when counterfeit Rs 2,000 notes, which have replicated nearly 50-60% of the security features, were seized.

The central security agencies and police intercepted few consignments of Rs 2,000 notes between December 2016 and January from areas near Malda district.

On February 8, West Bengal Police arrested a youth with 40 fake Rs 2,000 currency notes from Murshidabad district, which is termed as the biggest such haul from the porous Indo-Bangla border region post demonetisation.

According to police and security officials, the notes that have been recovered have copied the geometric patterns and the colour scheme both on the obverse and the reverse side including watermark, and the exclusive number pattern of the Rs 2,000 currency.

More than half of the 17 RBI-listed security features have been replicated in these counterfeit notes, they say. In genuine currency, there are 13 features on the front side including two for visually impaired and four on the reverse.

"Unlike samples seized elsewhere which were scanned or colour photocopies, these have been printed using sophisticated dyes. We have sent those notes to RBI but the features of these fake notes are quite tough to differentiate," SP Murshidabad Mukesh Kumar said.