Over ₹50 crore in fake currency was seized by different investigating agencies in the past three years, the government informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. A little over ₹5 crore was seized this year.
The highest number of 53 cases were registered in West Bengal, followed by Gujarat with 42 and Uttar Pradesh with 34.
One of the reasons cited by the government in 2016 for scrapping the ₹500 and ₹1,000 denomination notes was that it would wipe out fake currency in circulation. India had accused Pakistan’s ISI of printing high quality fake Indian currency notes and channelling them into the Indian market.
Culling data from the central Fake Currency Compilation System of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy said in a written response that 20,068 pieces of fake ₹2,000 notes were seized across the country till June 18 this year.
The annual crime report of the NCRB is yet to be published.
This is the first time the government has shared year-wise data on fake currency post-demonetisation.
As many as 53,254 FIRs were registered and 357 accused have been arrested this year. Government data shows that 13,513 pieces of fake ₹500 notes, 10,682 pieces of fake ₹100 notes and 2,233 pieces of fake ₹200 notes were seized.
₹28.10 crore in fake currency was seized 2017 and ₹17.75 crore in 2018. In 2017, the number of cases registered was 978 and 1046 persons were arrested. In 2018, the number of cases stood at 884 and 969 persons were arrested. In 2015, before demonetisation, ₹15.48 crore in fake currency was seized, 1178 persons were arrested and 1100 cases were registered.
