Tonga Police are investigating a counterfeit money circulation after a counterfeit $20 pa’anga banknote was reported by the National Reserve Bank of Tonga.

On 24 February, the bank confirmed the one $20 note was a counterfeit of the new King Tupou VI currency set, because it lacked security features present in a genuine $20 pa’anga note.

The Reserve Bank is concerned there could be more $20 pa’anga counterfeit banknotes circulating in Tonga. 

The security features on the genuine issue include the watermark of the King’s effigy and an image with a lighter text reading NRBT visible when the banknote is held up to the light, while a security thread is embedded in the banknote and ultraviolet fluorescent showing the denomination of the banknote on front of the note.