NEW DELHI: Seizures of Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) along India's borders have reached a seven-year high, with the Border Security Force (BSF) recovering counterfeit currency worth Rs 65.25 lakh in the first six months of 2026, according to official data.
The seizure value recorded till June 30 is 243 per cent higher than the Rs 19.02 lakh recovered during the entire year in 2025. It is also 74.2 per cent higher than the Rs 37.45 lakh seized in 2020 and about 2.4 times the annual average of Rs 27.18 lakh recorded between 2020 and 2025.
The 2026 figure is the highest recorded in any year since 2020, despite covering only the first half of the year. It has already exceeded the total annual seizures recorded in each of the previous six years.
The sharp rise comes as the BSF has intensified surveillance and checking along vulnerable border routes to stop the movement of counterfeit Indian currency. The force has strengthened security measures to detect FICN consignments and disrupt networks involved in smuggling fake notes.
A senior BSF official said West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir remain key routes for the supply of counterfeit currency, as both share sensitive international borders and have previously been used to push fake notes into India.
Counterfeit currency continues to be viewed as a national security concern because of its alleged links with organised crime and terror-financing networks. Indian security agencies have also alleged that Pakistani intelligence operatives have attempted to circulate fake Indian currency to disrupt the country's financial system.
However, officials said the higher seizure value alone should not be treated as evidence of a rise in the overall circulation of counterfeit currency. A meaningful comparison would require January-June seizure data from previous years, along with details on the number of notes recovered, their denominations, cases registered and arrests made.
With half of 2026 still remaining, the record seizures underline the BSF's ongoing efforts to curb the movement of counterfeit currency through India's border regions.