A campaign to prevent the laundering of stolen cash through retailers and pubs was launched yesterday in Northern Ireland.
It is aimed at increasing awareness that stained banknotes are likely to have been taken in robberies of cash-in-transit companies.
The campaign, especially aimed at retail and pub staff in the busy weeks before Christmas, seeks to show the difference between a normal banknote, a note stained by dye and one that the criminal has used chemicals to clean.
The PSNI's organised crime taskforce, banks and the cash-in-transit companies have teamed up and produced a series of posters which will be displayed in banks, businesses and police stations.
They show sample notes from the four main banks in Northern Ireland highlighting the differences between stained and cleaned notes.
Banknotes become stained with a dye when cash boxes stolen during cash-in-transit robberies are opened. Frequently criminals try to clean them but the process damages the foil features, according to the PSNI.
Det Insp David Connery said: "This is not a huge problem, but it is a cause for concern. We are asking everyone in the community, particularly retailers and publicans, to keep their eyes peeled for dye-stained notes.
"We would advise anyone not to accept, possess or circulate any dye-stained banknotes.
"Banknotes which are dye-stained are more than likely to be the proceeds of crime. Everyone, particularly in the retail and licensed trades which handle large amounts of notes, needs to be aware of this and follow our advice."
Stained notes should be taken to the issuing bank where, police say, they will be treated as damaged and the customer can "reasonably expect" to be reimbursed.
Action by the police, banks and transit companies has resulted in a reduction in cash-in-transit robberies. So far this year there have been 21 - a 44 per cent drop on the same period last year.
The inspector added: "Now we want to close off another loophole to make it harder for criminals to benefit from crime by laundering stolen cash into the legitimate banking system.
- (PA)