Securency, a banknote maker half owned by the Reserve Bank of Australia, has been hit by raids in Melbourne, the UK and Spain by police looking for evidence of corruption and bribery, according to The Age newspaper.
The raids on homes and offices were part of an Australian Federal Police (AFP) inquiry, codenamed Operation Rune, into allegations that the company paid bribes to officials, including bankers and politicians, between the late 1990s and 2009.
The bribes were allegedly paid through overseas agents and middlemen working for the company to secure contracts producing polymer banknotes for countries in Africa, Asia and South America, says the paper.
The homes of six former and current Securency staff were raided in Melbourne overnight. Meanwhile the UK's Serious Fraud Office simultaneously raided premises in relation to middlemen accused of helping to secure a contract with Nigeria's central bank.
Global raids target Reserve Bank firm - The Age