Surakarta Police and Bank Indonesia Destroy 12,270 Counterfeit Banknotes Found by Banks

POLRESTA Surakarta, together with Bank Indonesia’s Solo Representative Office, conducted a mass destruction of counterfeit notes on the grounds of Mapolresta Surakarta, on Tuesday, 19 May 2026. A total of 12,270 counterfeit notes of various denominations were burnt in the operation.

The Surakarta Police Chief, Senior Commissioner Catur Wahyono Wibowo, explained that the pile of counterfeit notes destroyed did not come from the result of a major case or the dismantling of a distribution network by the police. Rather, the evidence comprised items found during sorting conducted by banks.

“The pile of counterfeit notes burnt here is the result of sorting performed by banks and financial service providers when receiving deposits from the community in the Solo Raya area over the past several months,” Catur told reporters after the destruction ceremony.

Although originating from banking sector findings, Catur emphasised that all the destroyed evidence had gone through the applicable legal procedures. “Everything destroyed has already obtained a court ruling,” he added.

Based on data gathered, the counterfeit notes found were dominated by larger denominations, resembling Rp100,000 and Rp50,000 notes. Here is the complete breakdown of the number of counterfeit notes destroyed:

Although Polresta Surakarta has not directly disclosed the counterfeiters’ network, police are committed to strengthening synergies with Bank Indonesia in conducting public education to ensure citizens are more vigilant and can recognise the features of genuine currency on their own.

Head of BI Solo Representative, Dwiyanto Cahyo Sumirat, stressed the importance of ongoing educational programmes through the campaign “Cinta, Bangga, dan Paham Rupiah”.

“We educate the public about the characteristics of Rupiah’s authenticity. The aim is for people to know what colour it should be, how it should feel when touched, and what its security features are. We hope this helps the public avoid becoming victims of counterfeit currency circulation,” said Dwiyanto.

In solidarity with this, Senior Commissioner Catur urged the public to proactively report suspicious findings. “With intensive socialisation, the police request that residents do not hesitate to report if they find suspicious money,” he concluded. (Z-1)