How to identify counterfeit currency

Dubai: A top police official has warned the public to be on the lookout for counterfeit currency, which has been confiscated in several instances this year.

"The three most counterfeited [currencies] we receive are the UAE dirham, the US dollar and the euro," said Aqeel Al Najjar, head of the Questioned Documents Section at the General Department of Forensic Science and Criminology.

It is not easy for the layman to spot a counterfeit banknote, he said, but a little attention to detail helps.

Al Najjar said the simplest way to detect a fake banknote is by touch.

"Most banknotes employ three kinds of printing technique — offset, intaglio and letterpress. Offset results in flat printing, while intaglio gives an elevated print which can be felt, and letterpress results in an indentation in the paper. The result is a slightly rough banknote that can be [identified] easily," he said.

"If the banknote is smooth, that probably means it lacks those security features and is therefore counterfeit," Al Najjar said