The Australian Border Force have disrupted one of the largest counterfeit currency operations Queensland has seen.
Last month, officers inspected 12 air cargo consignments arriving in Queensland from Asia. Inside, they found forged Australian banknotes with a combined face value of over AUD2,000,000, plus CAD850.
All 12 shipments were traced back to a single consignee, making this the largest detection linked to one importer in the state’s history.
The consignments weren’t flagged by chance; they were identified through intelligence-led targeting focused on high-risk air cargo pathways, the kind of proactive profiling that increasingly underpins modern border enforcement.
This isn’t an isolated incident either. ABF data shows counterfeit cash seizures have surged dramatically over the past two years, with a seven-fold increase in detections during just the first six weeks of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025. Across the 2025-26 financial year, authorities intercepted more than 700 separate fake currency imports valued at over $6 million, with the overwhelming majority arriving from Asia via air cargo and postal channels. Officials have also noted the notes themselves are getting harder to spot, with some described as the “closest counterfeit” quality inspectors have encountered.
High-risk air cargo pathways are under active, intelligence-led scrutiny, not just random spot checks. It reinforces why accurate documentation, transparent consignee information, and strong compliance controls matter at every link of the supply chain. Knowingly importing, possessing, or using counterfeit currency in Australia carries penalties of up to 12 years’ imprisonment, and seized notes are referred to the Australian Federal Police before being sent to the Reserve Bank of Australia for forensic examination and destruction.
📸 and reference https://www.abf.gov.au/newsroom-subsite/Pages/Counterfeit-crackdown-$2-million-in-%E2%80%98cash%E2%80%99-that-didn%E2%80%99t-make-cents.aspx
