Bank Indonesia (BI) together with the Indonesian National Police (Polri), the Coordinating Agency for the Eradication of Counterfeit Rupiah (Botasupal) destroyed hundreds of thousands of counterfeit rupiah banknotes at the Bank Indonesia Office, Jakarta on Wednesday, May 13, 2026.
Deputy Governor of BI Ricky P Gozali said the move was part of the implementation of the mandate of Law Number 7 of 2011 concerning Currency as well as efforts to maintain public security in transactions using the rupiah.
According to Ricky, BI is committed to fully supporting the eradication of counterfeit money through the process of clarifying the authenticity of the money, both through expert examination and laboratory testing.
"We realize this commitment by providing clarification on the Rupiah money that is questionable in authenticity, which is realized through examination by experts and laboratory tests," he explained in a press conference, Wednesday, May 13.
He explained that the amount of counterfeit rupiah money that was destroyed reached 466,535 sheets, which came from reports from the public, banks, the Indonesian Rupiah Processing Service Provider (PJPUR), and the results of the processing of bank deposits to Bank Indonesia nationally, during the period from 2017 to November 2025.
Ricky said the destruction was carried out at Bank Indonesia using a shredder machine that produced very small paper scraps so that they no longer resembled money, and the destruction was also carried out in accordance with strict procedures in accordance with applicable regulations.
Based on BI data, the number of counterfeit rupiah money findings shows a decreasing trend, from 5 ppm (piece per million or 5 sheets in every 1 million circulating money) in 2023 to 4 ppm in 2024-2025, and continues to decrease to 1 ppm in April 2026.
"This achievement is certainly inseparable from the close synergy and coordination of various elements of BOTASUPAL, as well as strengthening the quality of the Rupiah money, both in terms of money, printing technology, and security elements that are increasingly modern, so that it is easier to recognize and difficult to counterfeit," he said.
He also said that based on research on counterfeit money, the quality of counterfeit money produced so far is relatively very low, and our hope is that it can be easily identified by the public through the 3D method (Seen, Touched, Thought).
"In this case, the public plays an increasingly vital role in preventing the circulation of counterfeit rupiah money. For this reason, we together with Botasupal always encourage the Cinta, Bangga, Paham Rupiah campaign, so that the public is increasingly aware of ensuring the authenticity of paper rupiah money through the 3D method (Seen, Touched, Scratched)," he said.
Ricky emphasized that in eradicating counterfeit rupiah money, including in today's counterfeit rupiah money destruction activities, it is a close coordination of BI with Botasupal consisting of elements of the National Intelligence Agency, the National Police of the Republic of Indonesia, the Attorney General's Office of the Republic of Indonesia, and the Ministry of Finance, as well as to the Supreme Court of the Republic of Indonesia, and the District Court.
Meanwhile, Wakabareskrim Nunung Syaifuddin said the circulation of counterfeit money not only harmed the community economically, but also had the potential to disrupt the stability of the national economy and reduce public confidence in the rupiah.
He emphasized that his party was committed to taking firm action against all forms of crimes related to currency, including the manufacture, storage, and circulation of counterfeit currency.
Based on data, Nunung said that the disclosure of counterfeit money cases by the National Police Criminal Investigation Unit and the Police in the period 2025 to April 2026 was 252 police reports, with details of 1,241 suspects, 137,005 pieces of counterfeit money evidence, and 17,267 pieces of counterfeit dollar money evidence.
"The findings in the form of counterfeit or non-authentic rupiah money to be destroyed today are the result of non-judicial submission and handling in accordance with the applicable legal mechanisms and provisions," he said.
Nunung added that the destruction was carried out as a form of transparency and assurance that the counterfeit money would not circulate in the community again.
He also appealed to the public to be more careful when receiving cash and immediately report to the police if they find or suspect counterfeit money.
According to him, counterfeiting money is a serious crime and based on Article 374 of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code, perpetrators of counterfeiting money are threatened with a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and a fine of up to IDR 5 billion.
Meanwhile, perpetrators who distribute counterfeit money can be charged under Article 375 paragraph 2 and 3 with a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum fine of Rp. 50 billion.
On the other hand, Settum BOTASUPAL Mulyono emphasized that the circulation of counterfeit rupiah money can have a wide impact, ranging from financial losses to the community to lowering confidence in the national financial system.
In the perspective of intelligence, he said that counterfeit money crime was also considered a threat that needed to be anticipated because it had the potential to affect social and economic stability in various regions.
"Therefore, it is necessary to be vigilant together in responding to the circulation of counterfeit rupiah money. Various strategies and efforts are carried out by Botasupal to suppress the circulation of counterfeit rupiah money and protect the community from counterfeit money crimes, the eradication of counterfeit rupiah is actively carried out through a series of comprehensive strategies that are coordinated, integrated and synchronized and carried out by each element of Botasupal, according to their respective roles and authorities," he explained.
He added that his party also appealed to the public to continue to actively participate in maintaining the eradication of fake rupiah and always be alert and recognize the authenticity of rupiah money to protect themselves and the environment from fake rupiah money crimes.
"In this case, the public found counterfeit rupiah money, doubted its authenticity, to report to the nearest police station to clarify to Bank Indonesia," he said.
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