Home » Fake currency worth Rs 18.75 lakh smuggled from Bangladesh seized

Fake currency worth Rs 18.75 lakh smuggled from Bangladesh seized

by Raju Vernekar
0 comment 3 minutes read

From our correspondent
Nagpur(Maharashtra), Jan 16

In a multi-state operation, the Nagpur Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) apprehended a person and seized fake Indian currency notes (FICN) which was being smuggled from Bangladesh with a face value of Rs. 18.75 lakhs. The accused  identified as Lalu Khan (38) has been arrested.
The DRI’’s Mumbai Zonal Unit (MZU) has taken Lalu Khan into custody and is now investigating a suspected global fake currency racket with an international syndicate based in Bangladesh. Some more suspects have been identified and they are likely to be picked up soon, the official added.
 Following a tip-off, the DRI Nagpur mounted the operation in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal to effect the seizure in which they recovered 386 notes of Rs 2000 denomination and 1,191 notes of Rs 500.
This is the fourth major seizure of FICN by the MZU after three years when other similar successful operations was carried out in 2017, months after the demonetization of Nov. 8, 2016.
The DRI said that possession of such fake currency is a serious punishable crime and after amendments to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the authorities can classify offences involving high-value FICN as “terror acts.” At present the investigating agency is currently spearheading efforts to eradicate cross-border smuggling of FICN.
Earlier, in August 2017,the DRI had arrested a person and seized Rs 6.98 lakh FICN from Mumbra town in Thane. Similarly in September 2017, it had seized Rs 7.36 lakh FICN and had nabbed two persons from Navi Mumbai. Besides in October in the same year, the DRI had arrested four persons from Bandra Kurla Complex (Mumbai) and had seized Rs 20.57 lakh fake Indian currency notes.
 Similarly in the recent months the NIA and Delhi Police’s Special Cell busted several rings and seized FICN of Rs 17 crore —brought to Delhi from Bangladesh.
Bangladesh border has become new entry point for fake notes and these currency consignments meant to disrupt India’s economy, the official said and added that the currency consignments are smuggled in through various border states like Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat.  
The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan, hand-in-glove with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim’s syndicate, used to print the fake currency notes in Pakistan and pump them into India. Now the ISI and the D-Company, besides independent rackets, have started printing units in Bangladesh.
Earlier, most arrests were made from Malda in West Bengal and Pakistan was using Bangladesh as a transit point to push fake notes. However of late there is a lull on the Assam and West Bengal borders.  
The printing bases in Pakistan have not been able to copy the security features of Indian currency. As such the Bangladesh has emerged as the main source for counterfeit notes of Rs 2,000 denomination. Utilising the network of the ISI and the underworld, printing bases in Bangladesh are smuggling the paper for the Rs 2,000 note from Saudi Arabia and Malaysia.

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