Check kiting is as old as banking itself. It isn't hard to detect but it is hard to be the bank to stop it. The bank that stops it is guaranteed a loss. Its even possible lender banks become complicit.
It takes two banks to pull off a big check kiting scheme. I've seen banks get away clean by telling the kiter that the Bank is going to close their accounts in x number of days, giving the kiter time to open accounts with another bank. Or more likely to start using accounts with other banks that are already open. The lesson being that if the bank can spot it early enough they can shift the loss.