The irony of demonetization has arrived as the National Crime Records Bureau’s (NCRB) report reveals a total of 2,272 fake notes were seized in 2016. Demonetisation was apparently aimed at stopping counterfeit currency.
The NCRB’s latest report released on the 30th of November gave the statistics for the number of fake currency seized in the country. The report revealed that in just 53 days from November 8th to December 31st a total of 2,272 fake notes each valued at Rs. 2,000 were seized.
Gujarat ranked the highest with 1,300 fake notes seized from the State. Officials seized 548 notes in Punjab, 254 in Karnataka, 114 in Telangana, 27 in Maharashtra, 8 in Madhya Pradesh, 6 in Rajasthan, and 3 each in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Haryana. In Jammu and Kashmir and Kerala only two fakes notes each were seized. Manipur and Odisha officials seized one fake note from each State.
Including all the other currency notes, officials seized 281,839 fake notes across the country. When Modi imposed demonetization he proudly stated this was for the betterment of the country. He explained it was done to stop black money, do away with counterfeit currency and counter terror funding.
