Bank Indonesia Finds 140 Counterfeit Banknotes in Bengkulu During 2023, Most in Denominations of IDR 100,000

The Bengkulu Representative Bank Indonesia office found 104 counterfeit notes during January 2023. ANTARA/Anggi Mayasari

BENGKULU - The Representative Office of Bank Indonesia (BI) found 104 counterfeit notes in Bengkulu during January 2023.

Deputy Chief Representative for Payment Systems and Internal Management of BI Bengkulu, Suhut M. T. Samosir, said the counterfeit money came from reports from banks and the public in Bengkulu.

"About 104 pieces of counterfeit money entered the Bengkulu BI office during January 2023 and the money was handed over to the police", he said at the BI Bengkulu representative office, Thursday, February 23, confiscated by Antara.

Of the 104 counterfeit notes that were found, on average, they had high values, such as 48 notes for the IDR 50,000 denomination, 54 IDR 100,000 notes and two IDR 20,000 notes.

Then, from January to December 2022, his party found 777 sheets in IDR 100,000, IDR 50,000 and IDR 20,000 denominations.

Suhut explained that money with the 2022 Emission Year (TE) is difficult to counterfeit, therefore, the rupiah is one of the best money in the world.

This is because the process for making the money uses a printing technique that is more complicated than the process of making money with the previous issuance year.

He continued, his party is currently trying to coordinate with Botasupal or the coordinating body for eradicating counterfeit rupiah consisting of Bank Indonesia, the police, the prosecutor's office, the ministry of finance and BIN to deal with the circulation of counterfeit money in Indonesia, especially Bengkulu Province. BI continues to carry out and provide education and outreach to all people regarding love, pride and understanding of the rupiah so that people can find out whether the money they have is genuine or not.

He appealed to all people who receive money that is suspiciously fake to come to the BI representative office to ask for information or hand over the money to the police for follow-up.