be punished by imprisonment of up to six years and a fine from BGN fifty thousand up to five hundred thousand. The goods and the transport means used for carrying it shall be confiscated in favour of the state, regardless of whose ownership it may be. Section IV Crimes Against the Monetary and Credit System Article 243 (1) A person who produces false or forges genuine bank notes and coins in circulation in this country or abroad, shall be punished for forgery of bank notes and coins by imprisonment for five to fifteen years. (2) The same punishment shall also be imposed on a person who forges: 1. state duty or postage stamps, and 2. bonds issued by the state, or other Government securities'; 3. (new, SG No. 62/1997, amended, SG No. 27/2009) payment instruments. Article 244 (1) (Previous text of Article 244, amended, SG No. 62/1997, amended and supplemented, SG No. 24/2005, amended, SG No. 27/2009, supplemented, SG No. 101/2017) A person who passes into circulation forged currency or other notes or payment instruments under Article 243 (2), accepts, acquires or makes use of such, knowing that they are forged, or carries them across the border of the country or transports them, shall be punished by imprisonment from two to eight years. (2) (New, SG No. 62/1997, amended and supplemented, SG No. 27/2009) The punishment under paragraph (1) shall also be imposed on a person who holds such notes, coins or securities or payment instruments under Article 243 (2) in large quantities. Article 244a (New, SG No. 24/2005) (1) (Supplemented, SG No. 101/2017) A person who in violation of the established order prepares, accepts, acquires, transfers across the border of the country or transports currency on a route in the country or abroad or currency which is not yet issued but is designated for circulation as legal tender, shall be punished with imprisonment from five to fifteen years. (2) Any person who consciously passes into circulation any such bank notes and coins shall be punished by imprisonment for up to eight years. Article 245 (Amended, SG No. 28/1982, SG No. 10/1993, SG No. 62/1997) A person who accepts a forged banknote, or other piece of currency under Article 243 and, after coming of knowledge that it is such, consciously passes it into circulation as genuine, shall be punished by imprisonment for one to three years and a fine of up to BGN 1,000. Article 246 (1) (Amended, SG No. 26/2004, SG No. 27/2009) Preparation for the perpetration of a crime under Article 243 or association for such purpose or for the distribution of forged bank