Police have arrested a gang of criminals involved in printing fake currency notes of various denominations, including US dollars and UAE dirhams during a raid in Lahore. Earlier, Saeed Ahmad, acting governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, had warned of anti-state elements involved in circulating counterfeit Pakistani currency in the country not only putting the individuals, who happened to accept the fake notes accidently, in pain and agony, but also undermining the national economy. Though the central bank is vigilant to foil the attempts of criminals by devising a course of currency management and strategies, the arrest of the criminals indicate that counterfeit banknotes are a reality and an imminent danger to the economy. The bank is ready to launch a campaign to create awareness among the masses about counterfeit notes and counter the gangs of criminals active in this business across the country. A documentary has been prepared to be broadcast on TV channels and a smart-phone application is also being developed to help people detect fake currency notes. However, the gangs are not the partners of the crime alone as Indian intelligence agency RAW is actively pursuing a goal to spoil the economy of this nation.
The official circles are fully aware of the Indian designs against the national economy as secret agencies are not only spreading fake currency across the country through its agents, but is also using it to launch terrorist activities in the country. The most pathetic part of the campaign is that Indian agencies use the quality paper and print it on sophisticated machines which makes it difficult for the common man to detect the counterfeit currency. The State Bank is proud of the security features incorporated in the currency notes, but the fact remains the quality of paper used in the original currency is questionable.
The nation is already facing various kinds of economic woes and the matter of the counterfeit currency needs to be taken seriously. The government will have to change the quality of paper and colours schemes used in the currency notes which are apparently substandard in the current denominations. Meanwhile, the arrest of seven criminals involved in printing fake currency notes is tip of the iceberg as deep investigations is required to unearth the gangs involved in the business. There is a need to understand how fake currency is utilized at a large scale. The banks staff should also be trained to detect the fake currency as some individuals even drew fake currency notes from the ATM machines.
