President Hugo Chavez said Thursday that the almost $700,000 (2,968,650 bolivares fuertes) in counterfeit Venezuelan currency seized in a DAS raid in Bogota, is evidence of “a great economic war against Venezuela.”
Chavez said the counterfeit money was part of an attack against him and Venezuela’s national currency by capitalism.
During the raid by DAS, Colombia’s government intelligence agency, $1,929,000 in counterfeit dollar bills were also seized and two people were arrested. They are now in the custody of Colombia’s prosecutor general.
In the last 17 months the Anti Money Falsifaction Investigation Group has seized $21.5 million in fake dollars – more than five times the amount seized in 2008 – and more than 4.5 million worth of bolivares fuertes.