By Ashwant Dwivedi
SUVA: Fiji Islands police have alerted Interpol after the discovery of fake Fijian currency in circulation, reports
Prabhaat News.
Police Commissioner Isikia Savua believes that the printing of local Fijian counterfeit bills could be a job done
locally.
In an interview with Prabhaat, Savua said that his Police Intelligence Unit was carrying out an idepth investigation
involving the circulation of the fake bills in Fiji.
"We are very much concerned," Mr Savua said.
He also confirmed that few Fiji currency bills seized by police in past were presented and accepted by the banks, not
even being detected by the tellers.
It was unclear if Fiji banks had machines available to detect fake Fijian currency.
Fiji in the past had been one of the victims of fake US currency.
Savua called on people to be careful when accepting money.
"We have alreaday alerted all the banks in Fiji," Savua said.
He said that Interpol had also been alerted.
In a recent incident, a local bank found a fake Fijian bill which the teller told police was presented to by a person
seeking foreign currency.
According to a confidential Reserve Bank of Fiji report obtained by Prabhaat News, the printing of the notes found in
Fiji could be jobs done using colour photo copy machines.
The report was prepared by the Security and Print division of London and
presented in-confidence to the Reserve Bank of Fiji.
The five-page report also gave in-depth details of how notes which were found in Fiji in past could have been produced.
A senior police official said that last year they had seized a colour photocopying machine from a Nadi business house.
"We suspected that that could have been one of the machines which is being used for printing of the fake currency," the
senior officer said.
Police also believe that some foreigners entering the country as tourists are also involved in the circulation of the
fake currency.
A United States Government secret service agent has also visited Fiji to
provide assistance to local police in their investigation.
"We appeal to the people to contact the nearest police station if they have any details on the circulation of the
counterfeit notes," Savua said.
+++niuswire
This document is for educational and research use only. Recipients should seek permission from the copyright source
before reprinting. PASIFIK NIUS service is provided by the niusedita via the Journalism Program, University of the South
Pacific. Please acknowledge Pasifik Nius: niusedita@pactok.net.au http://www.usp.ac.fj/journ/nius/index.html