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Asia

India struggles as millions throng banks to swap currency

Associated Press
Published | Updated
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    Indians stand in queues at a bank to exchange or deposit discontinued currency notes in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016. Chaotic scenes played out across India with long lines growing even longer and scuffles breaking out, as millions of anxious people tried to change old currency notes that became worthless days earlier when the government demonetized high-value bills. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) (The Associated Press)

  • 3c9d1288-
    Image 2 of 3

    Indians stand in queues at a bank to exchange or deposit discontinued currency notes in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016. Chaotic scenes played out across India with long lines growing even longer and scuffles breaking out, as millions of anxious people tried to change old currency notes that became worthless days earlier when the government demonetized high-value bills. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) (The Associated Press)

  • b55e1a37-
    Image 3 of 3

    Indians stand in queues at a bank to exchange or deposit discontinued currency notes in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016. Chaotic scenes played out across India with long lines growing even longer and scuffles breaking out, as millions of anxious people tried to change old currency notes that became worthless days earlier when the government demonetized high-value bills. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) (The Associated Press)

NEW DELHI – India's government says it will mark the fingers of people swapping scrapped currency notes at banks with indelible ink as authorities struggle to deal with the corruption and bedlam spawned by the demonetizing of the country's highest denomination currency.

India announced a week ago that it was withdrawing 500 and 1,000 rupee notes as legal tender to fight money laundering. However, people are allowed a onetime swap of 4,000 rupees ($59) at any bank in exchange for smaller and useable notes to meet immediate needs. But overwhelmed banks are unable to run proper identity check to ensure that people don't line up more than once.

Tuesday's announcement comes amid reports of people go to multiple banks to swap the old notes.