| Forget about the threat posed by North Korea's missile | | | | retaliation for the US's sanctions over its counterfeiting |
| program. It's already scoring damaging hits on the west | | | | and money laundering.It was also revealed late last |
| with what's known as the "superdollar" - an almost | | | | year that a Taiwanese national arrested in the US on |
| perfect counterfeit US$100 that the rogue nation has | | | | charges of dealing in counterfeit bills had disclosed to |
| been producing by the million and dumping on the world | | | | the FBI that North Korea was also using Chinese |
| currency market.One estimate puts the amount Nth | | | | organised crime groups to distribute its "super |
| Korea makes from counterfeiting more than US$100 | | | | dollars".The BBC has previously reported that |
| million a year.In November the US put a range of | | | | "superdollars" are produced on a highly sophisticated |
| financial sanctions in place against North Korea after | | | | printing press, known as the Intaglio, similar to the one |
| the US Treasury revealed it had been using a bank in | | | | used to print money in the US. According to one |
| Macau to put counterfeit currency into circulation. | | | | defector, the notes were produced in a special |
| According to US Treasury the bank, the Banco Delta | | | | counterfeiting plant. "We bought the best of everything |
| Asia was "a willing pawn for the North Korean | | | | - the best equipment and the best ink. But we also had |
| government to engage in corrupt financial | | | | the very best people, people who had real expertise |
| activities".The bank, which had links to the North | | | | and knowledge in the field."The notes were also |
| Korean regime stretching back two decades, had | | | | distributed by North Korean officials and diplomats |
| accepted large deposits of counterfeit US currency | | | | when they travelled.According to the Heritage |
| and put them into circulation. The bank had also been | | | | Foundation, an independent US thinktank, the public |
| used for laundering the proceeds of drug smuggling | | | | naming of the Banco Delta Asia in Macau last year |
| and counterfeit cigarette sales carried out by front | | | | has not stopped the flow of counterfeit notes. It says |
| companies set up by the North Korean government, | | | | there's evidence that North Korea has switched to |
| according to the US Treasury.Shortly after the | | | | using Chinese state-owned banks in the nearby |
| revelations the Macau Government stepped in and | | | | Chinese Zhuhai Special Economic Zone.The think tank |
| placed administrators in the bank to ensure all | | | | reported earlier this year that North Korea's printing |
| connections with North Korea were cut. | | | | presses had also been churning out counterfeit |
| North Korea broke off international nuclear | | | | Japanese yen, Thai baht, and in recent years, Euros. |
| disarmament talks in November in what was seen as | | | | |