In the second half of last year, almost half a million counterfeit banknotes were seized in European countries
The lowest probability of getting a counterfeit is for those who prefer the most «expensive» banknotes – those worth 500 euros. They are not in demand among criminals at all, accounting for only 0.5% of those seized by eurozone authorities.
In total, more than 447,000 counterfeit banknotes were seized in EU countries in the second half of 2009. This is 8% more than in the first half, when the figure was 413,000 banknotes. However, according to the European Central Bank, the share of counterfeits relative to genuine banknotes in circulation «remains very low.» In the second half of 2009, the average number of euro banknotes in circulation was 12.8 billion.
In recent months, the largest underground workshops for producing counterfeit euros have been discovered by EU police in Italy, France, Poland and Bulgaria. According to a statement from the European Central Bank, most counterfeit banknotes circulate in eurozone countries.
In Russia, counterfeiters, on the contrary, prefer large denominations. According to the Interior Ministry, about 90% of counterfeit money here is the 1,000-ruble banknote. The ministry even plans to change its design to reduce the spread of counterfeit thousand-ruble notes. Counterfeit dollars and euros are also common; the second most popular counterfeit banknote here is the $100 bill.
Igor BAKHAREV.
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