484 counterfeit euro banknotes found in Malta in first half of 2011
August 01, 2011
In the first half of this year, 484 counterfeit euro banknotes were reported to the Central Bank of Malta, which counterfeits were all seized in circulation. This amount is the lowest for any six-month period since the adoption of the euro.
When compared with the number of genuine euro banknotes in circulation in Malta (slightly above 22 million on average for the first half of 2011), the proportion of euro counterfeits remains insignificant. It is also very low when compared to the number of counterfeits seized in the euro area in the same period, which according to the ECB’s press release issued on Monday 18 July, amounted to 295,553 pieces.