BANKNOTE FORGERY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20758, 29 December 1930, Page 8

BANKNOTE FORGERY.

EXTENT OF OPERATIONS. ABOUT TWENTY RECOVERED. FEW APPEAR ON RACECOURSES. About 20 forged Bank of Australasia notes which were circulated in the city on Wednesday afternoon * have been recovered by the banks and the police. Until the banks reopen to-day, the full extent of the circulation of forced notes will nob be known. It is believed that only a comparatively few notes were put in circulation, the quick discovery of the forgery probably having the effect of discouraging further operations. Had the men—it is believed two were operating — waited until the banks closed for the day, they would have had greater scope. A close watch for forged notes was kept at the races at Ellerslie on Friday and at the trotting meeting at Epsom on Saturday. Three spurious notes were detected at the races and one at the trotting meeting, but those who presented them were able to give satisfactory explanations of how they obtained them.

Mr. R. N. K. Swanston, manager of the Auckland branch of the Bank of Australasia, said yesterday that it was possible the forged notes had been manufactured in Australia and brought to Auckland just before Christmas. However, the issuo in circulation in Australia differed from that in New Zealand. In order that the bank should know the full extent of the forger's operations, Mr. Swanston urged that all false notes should be returned by those possessing them.