User:Mindmatrix/Skunkworks/Currency counterfeiting in Canada

Currency counterfeiting in Canada refers to the production of counterfeit money in Canada.

Cases
The most notorious example of currency counterfeiting in Canada is that of Wesley Weber, who by 2001 had reproduced a near replica version of the one hundred-dollar banknote in the Birds of Canada series.

Thwarting counterfeiting was the impetus for the design of the Frontier series of banknotes to replace the Birds of Canada and Scenes of Canada series that preceded it. The $100 banknote of the series was released in November 2011, and by the end of that year counterfeit copies were found in circulation in British Columbia. In May 2013, counterfeit copies described as "very well done" but missing three security features were found in circulation in British Columbia.

By 2016, counterfeit copies of banknotes from the Birds of Canada and Scenes of Canada series were still made, with a counterfeiting ring in Quebec operating four production laboratories discovered by the RCMP. A subsequent investigation found that 9,689 counterfeit banknotes with a face value of almost $1 million had been passed into circulation by this group, and 4,198 counterfeit banknotes with a face value of $419,000 had been seized.

Law enforcement
Part XII of the Criminal Code specifies offences related to the production, printing, publication, possession, distribution, use, or circulation of counterfeit currency, or owning, repairing, or using machines or other tools used for the production of counterfeit currency. The RCMP operates the National Anti-Counterfeiting Bureau (NACB) as part of the National Forensic Laboratory Services to coordinate policing regarding counterfeit currency, and is the central repository for seized counterfeit money. NACB also has the responsibility for destroying all counterfeit currency once it has been analyzed and is no longer needed for court proceedings.

Suspicious banknotes and coins of Canadian and foreign currencies are inspected by forensic examiners at the NACB. Three Integrated Counterfeit Enforcement Teams, one each in Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver, conduct investigations regarding counterfeit currency. These teams conduct enforcement operations on organized counterfeiting, and investigate individuals and criminal organizations that produce and distribute counterfeit currency. This includes surveillance and undercover operations.