"This problem gives us a lot of troubles," said Yury Dildin, deputy head of the Interior Ministry Criminology Department. "Our experts are overloaded with work."
Dildin said police confiscated 44,000 forged banknotes worth 1.7 trillion rubles (about $1 billion) in 1993, compared to 3,500 forged banknotes worth 4.5 million rubles in 1992.
In 1993, police also confiscated 40,000 forged bills in dollars worth $2.5 million. That was up from 12,000 forged bills worth $1.2 million in 1992. Those most commonly forged are 50,000 ruble and $100 notes.
Dildin said criminals use the latest technology, including copying and printing machines, which let them forge banknotes of any value in dollars or rubles in very good quality.
Dildin said the copying machines used by counterfeiters are technically similar to machines that the government uses to print money.
He appealed to the government to legislate to register all color copiers.
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