Kepri Botasupal destroys 5,454 counterfeit Rupiah banknotes
Botasupal, the Counterfeit Currency Eradication Coordinating Body for the Riau Islands Province, destroyed 5,454 counterfeit Rupiah banknotes uncovered through currency processing and public reports in the Riau Islands for the period from November 2022 to December 2025, at Bank Indonesia’s Provincial Representative Office in Batam, Riau Islands.
Rony Widijarto P., Head of Bank Indonesia’s Representative Office for the Riau Islands Province, said in a press release received in Batam on Thursday that: ‘The counterfeit Rupiah notes destroyed totalled 5,454 and originated from currency processing and community findings in the Riau Islands during the period from November 2022 to December 2025.’
Botasupal consists of Bank Indonesia Kepri, the Kepri Regional Police (Polda Kepri), the Kepri regional National Intelligence Agency (BIN), the Kepri High Prosecutor’s Office, and the Regional Office of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise (Kakanwil Ditjen Bea dan Cukai) Kepri, and continues to strengthen synergy in the fight against counterfeit Rupiah.
This step is mandated by Law No. 7 of 2011 on Currency and is a manifestation of the commitment to safeguarding Rupiah as the symbol of national sovereignty and to ensuring public security in transactions with Rupiah.
The process of destroying the counterfeit notes underwent a clearance procedure by Bank Indonesia, the authority empowered to determine the authenticity of Rupiah, based on examinations by experts and laboratory tests. The counterfeit notes were subsequently handed to the police for further action under applicable regulations before final destruction.
The destruction also received approval from the Batam District Court to be conducted using Bank Indonesia’s Paper Shredder Machine. The machine produces extremely small paper fragments so that the notes no longer resemble money.
The destruction ceremony was performed symbolically by Botasupal representatives from the Riau Islands Province and subsequently by BI personnel, in the presence of Botasupal in accordance with the prescribed procedures.
According to BI data, the number of counterfeit notes detected shows a declining trend, from 5 ppm (five notes per million banknotes in circulation) in 2023 to 4 ppm in 2024-2025, continuing to fall.
This trend coincides with improvements in Rupiah quality, including banknote materials, printing technology, and security features that are increasingly modern, making counterfeiting easier to recognise and more difficult to execute.
The enhanced quality of Rupiah has also earned global recognition, with the 2022 Rupiah Emission Series (TE) named Best New Banknote Series at the IACA Currency Awards 2023, and the Rp50,000 TE 2022 banknote achieving second place worldwide for security and resistance to counterfeiting in November 2024 in the ‘World’s Most Secure Currencies’ ranking by BestBrokers, which cited 17 security features.
In addition, Bank Indonesia, together with Botasupal, continues to educate the public through the ‘Cinta Bangga Paham (CBP) Rupiah’ campaign as part of a joint effort to combat counterfeit currency.
This includes recognising genuine Rupiah through the 3D principle (Seen, Felt, Looked Through) and applying the 5J rules (Don’t Fold, Don’t Deface, Don’t Staple, Don’t Crumple, Don’t Wet).
Through the CBP Rupiah slogan, BI invites the public to regard Rupiah as the sole lawful means of payment and the symbol of Indonesia’s sovereignty.