3 held for fake currency racket in Assam, 3 lakh seized

GUWAHATI: Assam Police busted a fake Indian currency note (FICN) racket and arrested three persons in two separate operations and seized FICN worth over Rs 3 lakh on Sunday. While one person was nabbed in Hailakandi, police busted a fake note printing base in Darrang district and nabbed two others.
Police sources said, "One Kajol Hussain Borbhuyan was arrested at Baghmara area in Hailakandi with Rs 2.9 lakh of FICN in his possession. All the notes were of Rs 2000 denomination. He is a part of an international FICN racket from Bangladesh, from where high-quality FICNs are pumped into the country via Assam."

In a separate operation at Sipajhar area of Darrang district, police arrested Chandan Biswakarma and Laibundhar Phukan with at least 17 fake Rs 2000 notes and other items used to print fake notes. "Obsolete currency denominations of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 were also seized from their possession. The seizures included 16 Rs 1000 notes and three Rs 500 notes," Darrang Police said.

Sources said the duo had set up a FICN printing base at the residence of one Nurul Hussain in the area, who is currently absconding.

Police had busted a similar FICN manufacturing unit last year in Sipajhar's Ananda Bazar area. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing the FICN racket across the country, alerted state police that high quality counterfeit notes printed in Pakistan are being smuggled to the state through Bangladesh.

Sources added, "An agent is offered between Rs 40,000 to Rs 60,000 for FICN worth Rs one lakh. Once it reaches India through Assam, a huge chunk of it goes to Uttar Pradesh and the southern states too."