Secret lab sniffs out fake euro bills

The tower of the European Central Bank is pictured by night showing the illuminated euro currency symbol in Frankfurt, Germany. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the euro. Photo: AFP

On the 23rd floor of the European Central Bank’s towering Frankfurt headquarters, on the other side of a security door, anti-counterfeiting experts are poring over some of the best fake banknotes in the eurozone.

The room, off limits to outsiders, at first glance recalls a high school science lab – an unusually well-equipped one.