NIA arrests man wanted in smuggling of fake Indian currency

NIA has arrested an absconding gang member allegedly involved in smuggling of Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) with the face value of over Rs 10 lakh from Bangladesh into India.

New Delhi, Sep 19: NIA has arrested an absconding gang member allegedly involved in smuggling of Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) with the face value of over Rs 10 lakh from Bangladesh into India. Ashok Kumar Gupta alias Badapao, who was carrying a cash reward of Rs 25,000 on his head, was arrested from Ranchi on Saturday, NIA said in a statement here today. Gupta allegedly used to procure the FICN from Malda and circulate the same in Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

In May last year, FICN with a face value of Rs 10,01,000 was seized from the possession of one Sushanta Sahu of Odisha and a case was registered by the NIA under relevant provisions of the IPC and UA(P) Act, it said. Sahu and his associates, including Gupta, were allegedly involved in the smuggling of FICN from Bangladesh and circulation of the same in West Bengal, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Delhi, the statement said.(ALSO READ: Delhi airport new transit point for drug smuggling: Government)

One Mozammel Haque of Bangladesh was found to be the “supplier of FICN”. At the instance of Sahu, NIA arrested four more accused – Uttam Kumar Sinha, Purshotam Kesri, Nishfal Mandal and Rameshwar Sahu – and filed chargesheet in the NIA Special Court in Kolkata. One Rubel Mia was also arrested on last month from Malda in West Bengal.