Alert over counterfeit €50 notes

Hundreds of counterfeit €50 notes are circulating in the Halle-Vilvoorde area, west and north of Brussels, reports Flanders News. The local police have received at least eight reports of fake banknotes, and police spokesman Serge Roelens said they were being laundered through places such as food stalls at football matches. “They pick places with many people, with a lot of hustle and bustle, where everything has to go quickly and vendors don’t have the time to inspect banknotes properly,” he said. However, it is possible to detect a counterfeit banknote, he added: “If you look closely from different angles and touch it carefully, you can tell it’s fake.” There have also been reports of counterfeit €50 notes in Melle, East Flanders, although it is not clear whether the two cases are related.