(Most recently amended on 8 January 2007)
Norges Bank, banks and others have a duty to investigate and report in the event of suspicion that transactions have a connection with a crime (cf. the Act relating to measures to combat the laundering of proceeds from crime etc.).
The following regulations concern deliveries to Norges Bank of banknotes that are physically marked or damaged in various ways, so that there is reason to suspect that they are connected with a crime. Examples are notes that have been stained by means of ampoules of dye that are used with cash in transport and ATMs, and notes that may have been cut or washed in an attempt to remove the dye in order to conceal crimes. Any member of the public in possession of such a note should report it to his or her bank. In the case of old, withdrawn notes, Norges Bank should be contacted.
The following rules apply to deliveries:
1. Banks’ deliveries to Norges Bank’s own depots
Notes that may stem from a crime or that have been dyed by accident must be delivered to Norges Bank’s own depots. The delivery shall be accompanied by documentation (form) that describes what the bank has done, and whether a detailed investigation has been undertaken pursuant to Section 7 of the Money Laundering Act, and whether the matter has been reported to the Central Unit for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime (ØKOKRIM).
The following requirements apply:
1.1 Dyed notes, notes with cut-off edges, or which show signs of attempts at chemical cleaning, or which for some other reason may be assumed to stem from a crime:
a) Before delivery, the bank making the delivery shall have complied with the provisions of the Money Laundering Act. As documentation, the delivering bank shall complete and attach a form which confirms that the bank has made investigations and filed a report in accordance with the rules of the Money Laundering Act, and that the police have not requested to have the notes handed over as evidence.
b) The notes shall be delivered separately.
1.2 Notes that have been dyed by accident during packing or transportation
a) The delivering bank shall complete and enclose a form which describes the incident in more detail.
b) If the transporter has been authorised by the delivering bank, the transporter can complete the form.
c) The notes shall be delivered separately, be dried and counted to permit efficient further processing.
Norges Bank's processing:
Delivered notes together with a completed form that meets the requirements in 1.1 and 1.2 will be received by Norges Bank and the amount will be credited to the delivering bank's account. Notes delivered without the aforementioned documentation will be returned to the bank making the delivery.
Deliveries as defined under 1.1 are not subject to a charge by Norges Bank. In connection with deliveries as specified under 1.2, the delivering bank must cover the costs associated with forwarding, processing and replacement of the notes, currently NOK 5 000 per incident. Special charges will be made for extra work-intensive deliveries. Charges will not normally be made for individual incidents involving up to 250 notes.
2. The general public’s deliveries to Norges Bank’s head office in Oslo, or to Norges Bank depots
The general public may deliver old notes from series that are no longer valid for exchange at Norges Bank's head office or at our central bank depots. If any of these notes are dyed, have cut-off edges, exhibit signs of chemical cleansing or in some other manner cause suspicion that they may stem from a crime, investigations will be launched, and possibly a report made to ØKOKRIM (see Section 7 of the Money Laundering Act).
The following requirements apply:
2.1 A customer making a delivery must supply name, address and account number, and show approved identification.
2.2 A customer making a delivery must provide an explanation for the appearance of the notes and how they have been received by the customer, by completing and signing a form.
Norges Bank's processing:
Notes that do not meet the requirements in 2.1 and 2.2 will not be accepted.
If necessary, Norges Bank will report the matter to ØKOKRIM according to the rules of the Money Laundering Act. If further information emerges following the reporting, or the police refrain from requiring that the notes be delivered as part of the investigation of a crime, Norges Bank will assume that the party delivering the suspicious notes is the rightful owner, and redeem them by crediting the customer’s bank account.
3. Forms