Superdollar: Information from Answers.com

For the economics term, see Superdollar (economics).

A superdollar or supernote is an almost perfect counterfeit of a United States banknote, believed to have been made by an unknown organization or government. The identity of the group responsible remains a mystery, and international opinion on the origin of the notes varies; at one point, the government of the United States claimed to have proof that they were produced in North Korea, but it has since ceased publicly advancing or commenting on this accusation, while many in the intelligence community blame Iran or criminal gangs operating out of China or Russia; some have even suggested the possibility of CIA involvement.^[1] The name derives from the fact that the technology incorporated to create the note exceeds that of the original. Currently, it is estimated that 1 in 10,000 bills is a supernote.^[2]

1 The notes
2 Possible sources
3 In popular culture
4 See also
5 References
6 Further reading
7 External links

The notes

The notes are made with the highest quality ink and paper, designed to recreate the various security features of United States currency, such as the red and blue security fibers, the security thread, and the watermark; even experts need to study a note intensively before determining if it is a forgery. Officially they are known as the PN-14342 family, after the classification system that the United States Secret Service uses. The notes are printed using the intaglio and typographic printing processes.

Possible sources

Iran

Before the 1979 Iranian Revolution Iran used the intaglio machines to print its currency, as did the United States and other governments. There has been some speculation that Iran has used these to print superdollars.^[3]^[1]

North Korea

The United States based its accusations against North Korea primarily on the accounts of a few North Korean defectors who allegedly described the operation, though their testimony is widely considered to be suspect; a key witness has since gone into hiding after charges that he fabricated the story for money.^[1]^[4] These witnesses claimed that the factory where the notes are printed is located in the city of Pyongsong and is part of Division 39.^[5] One defector had taken the notes to experts in the South Korean intelligence agency, who did not believe that they were fakes.^[6] The San Francisco Chronicle interviewed a North Korean chemist who described the operation; insisting on anonymity, he spoke about the technical details of the process as well as the distribution method, which he said was through North Korean diplomats and international crime syndicates.

In their 2006 accusations, the U.S. theorized that the bills were spread in two ways:

North Korean diplomats almost always travel through Moscow on their way to other destinations. At the Embassy of North Korea in Moscow they receive dollars for their expenses. According to the claims of one defector, forgeries are intermingled with real dollars in about a 1 to 1 ratio. He said that most of the diplomats themselves do not know that they are being given fakes, and claimed that it is possible to purchase a $100 bill for US$70 directly from North Korean agents.^[7]

The chief of staff of the Official Irish Republican Army, Seán Garland, was followed and seen traveling to Moscow and visiting the North Korean embassy along with some ex-KGB officers. Allegedly, Seán Garland then would, with the help of some associate couriers, move this money to Dublin and Birmingham where the notes would be exchanged for pounds or authentic dollars.^[8]^[9] His scheme, involving several international crime syndicates and transactions worth millions of dollars, was uncovered in "Operation Mali" and began with a tip-off about a man named Alan Jones.^[10] Garland was arrested in Belfast, Northern Ireland but fled south to the Republic of Ireland after being released for medical leave.

Between 2004 and 2006 the United States frequently called for pressure against North Korea in an attempt to end the alleged distribution of supernotes, though more recently it has ceased publicly accusing the country. It has investigated the Bank of China, Banco Delta Asia, and Seng Heng Bank.^[11]^[12] The U.S. eventually prohibited Americans from banking with Banco Delta Asia.^[13]^[14] However, an audit of the bank disputed U.S. allegations and indicated that the only time Banco Delta Asia had knowingly handled counterfeit money was in 1994 when it discovered and turned over $10,000 in counterfeit $100 bills to local authorities.^[15] Before it dropped the issue, the United States was threatening North Korea with sanctions over its alleged involvement with the supernotes, though it said those sanctions would be a separate issue from the nuclear one.

In two sting operations, dubbed "Operation Smoking Dragon" and "Operation Royal Charm", United States agents arrested at least 87 people on charges that included smuggling superdollars.

China has been reluctant to believe that North Korea was the source of the notes, while South Korea never accepted it. On January 11, 2006, China announced that its own investigation had reached the same conclusion, and said it believed North Korea could not escape culpability and would try to convince it to end the activity.^{[citation needed]} South Korea is attempting to play a middle role, encouraging all parties to reach an acceptable conclusion without animosity.^[16] In a major meeting on January 22, 2006, the U.S. laid out its evidence and tried to persuade the Seoul government to take a harder line on the issue and impose similar financial sanctions, but was rebuffed.^[17]^[18] South Korea prefers to place blame on North Korean organizations rather than the government, believing that this change in rhetoric can mollify North Korea and be conducive to a resumption of the six-party talks.^[19]

Several North Korean diplomats have been arrested on suspicion of passing the counterfeit bills, but have used diplomatic immunity to evade charges.^[20]

On February 2, 2006, banks in Japan voluntarily enforced sanctions on Banco Delta Asia identical to those imposed by the United States.^[21] Later in August 2006, the Sankei Shimbun reported that North Korea had opened 23 bank accounts in 10 countries, with the likely intent of laundering more superbills.^[22]

The U.S. Secret Service estimates that North Korea has produced $45 million in superdollars since 1989.^[23] They are produced at the Pyongsong Trademark Printing Factory.^[23]

CIA

More doubt concerning the nature of these supernotes arose on January 10, 2008, in the McClatchy Washington Bureau. The article makes mention of the increasing doubt of testimonies and sources, and of the CIA's involvement. Klaus Bender, an author of works on counterfeiting, claims that the notes are of such high quality that they could only be produced by a government agency such as the CIA. The article also goes on to say that the United States is no longer explicitly accusing the North Korean government of producing supernotes.^[1]

Other

Other theories of the bill's origin have become increasingly popular; Iran remains a suspect to many, while others blame independent criminal gangs operating out of Russia or China.^[1]^[24] In 2000, the Institute for Advanced Strategic and Political Studies laid the blame on Syria: "The Bekaa Valley has become one of the main distribution sources, if not production points, of the 'supernote' – counterfeit U.S. currency so well done that it is impossible to detect."^[25]