Gardai in Cork and Galway have issued warnings about the circulation of forged €50 notes. Gardaí in Cork say there are following a definite lead after the discovery of a substantial number of forged notes.
The notes were seized in the Togher/Ballyphehane area in the last two days. One forgery was passed on to detectives at the station in Togher yesterday after it was cashed in Ryan's supermarket in the area. A second forged €50 note was confiscated by gardaí at a pub in Pearse Square, Ballyphehane, on the southside of Cork city.
Det Sgt Tim O'Sullivan, said at first glance the forgeries are of a good quality but they don't stand up to close inspection. "The quality is good. But the forged €50 notes are larger and darker in colour than originals." He said people should also look at the quality of paper in notes. "The forged ones aren't 100 per cent. If you check the watermark you will also realise it is forged."
Anyone with information on the forgeries should contact the gardaí at Togher on (021) 4962611.
Meanwhile, a number of businesses in Galway city have refused to accept any €50 notes after the discovery of a considerable number of forgeries over the Christmas and new year. Gardaí have confirmed that one nightclub took in over €4,000 in counterfeit money, while some businesses, including a bookmakers chain and a fast food outlet, have refused to accept €50 notes.
The gardaí have called upon retailers to study notes once they are handed in and to invest in ultraviolet note-checkers. However, a spokesperson for the Central Bank said the number of counterfeit notes was a lot less than when Irish notes were in circulation..
"Euro are extremely difficult notes to counterfeit," said the spokesperson.
"We have come across some very poor efforts, and most can be detected by the naked eye without any ultra-violet equipment."