GUVD: counterfeit money found in Rostov Region comes from Dagestan

Almost every day militia bulletins in the Rostov Region state detection of banknotes with signs of forgery. According to the regional GUVD (Chief Interior Department), for the first 9 months of 2010, 1008 criminal cases were initiated under Article 186 of the Criminal Code (manufacture, storage, transportation or sale of counterfeit money or securities); of them, 113 criminal cases has been sent to the court, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

In total in 2010, more than 1600 counterfeit rouble and 14 foreign currency banknotes have been confiscated in the region.

"Despite numerous protection means on banknotes, the quality of fakes is improving constantly, while traffickers, as a rule, give a fake banknote among original ones, when they pay for something. The manufacture of counterfeit money is concentrated in the North-Caucasus Federal District (NCFD). Most of the Rostov Region fakes come from Dagestan," Militia Lieutenant Colonel Roman Usov, head of the division for fighting crimes in the credit and financial system and counterfeiting of the Department for Combating Economic Crimes of the GUVD for the Rostov Region, said at a press conference on November 17.

He noted that it usually passes 2-3 weeks from sale to detection of counterfeit banknotes; therefore, search for the counterfeiters, as a rule, gives no fruit.

"Most often, counterfeit banknotes are given away in retail outlets located on motorways and in marketplaces at wholesale purchases, as well as in various commercial networks, where they lack modern equipment for detecting counterfeit money," Roman Usov said.

"Recently in Rostov-on-Don, a pensioner was convicted to three years of imprisonment for sale of counterfeit money. He went to the marketplace with a 1000-rouble note; and at the first store he was told that it was a fake. But he would not calm down and went to the next and the next ones," said Alexei Polyanskiy, head of the GUVD's press service.