Fake currency spread to Gujarat, Maharashtra says NIA

New Delhi, March 12: The National Investigating Agency which has filed yet another chargesheet in connection with a fake currency case says that the racket has spread into Gujarat and Maharashtra.

In its chargesheet filed against five persons, the NIA says that these persons would source fake currency from Bangladesh.

Further the NIA also stated that after completion of investigation against the arrested accused persons, it has been found that all of them are part of an inter state gang involved in the procurement and smuggling of fake currency from their associates in Bangladesh.

After procuring and smuggling the same into India, the FICNs was then circulated in various part of country especially in Maharashtra and Gujarat, by the members of the gang.

Sushanta Sahu of Dhenkanal, Odisha, Uttam Kumar Sinha, Dhanbad, Jharkhand, Purushottam Kumar Keshri, Jharia, Jharkhand, Nishfal Mondal, Malda, West Bengal and Rameshwar Sahu, Giridih, Jharkhand have been named as accused in the chargesheet.

The case is based on the seizure of Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICNs) having face value of Rs. 10,01,000 effected by the official of Director of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).

Multi pronged approach

The government had come up with a six point approach to counter the menace of fake currency. The measures undertaken are:

-The Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Home Affairs, Reserve Bank of India, Security and Intelligence Agencies to the Centre and States are all working together on this issue.

-A Special FICN coordination (FCORD) Group has been formed by the MHA to share intelligence among the different security agencies. The Government has also constituted a Terror Funding & Fake Currency Cell (TFFC) in NIA to investigate Terror Funding and Fake currency cases.

-The government has amended the Unlawful Activities (Prevention Act, 1967 (UAPA) wherein damage to the monetary stability of India by way of production or smuggling or circulation of High Quality Fake Indian Paper currency, coin or any other material has been declared as a "Terrorist" act.

-To prevent smuggling of fake currency notes in India, staff posted at airports, Railway Stations and border posts have been sensitized from time to time, which has resulted in significant hauls of FICN in these locations.

-A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between India and Bangladesh to prevent and counter smuggling and circulation of Fake Currency Notes.

The objective of this MOU is to promote bilateral cooperation in the field of preventing and combating, production, smuggling and circulation of fake currency notes, taking into account the applicable laws and legal provisions of the two countries.

-RBI has been conducting awareness programmes.

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