Fake currency notes of Rs 2,000 surface

NEW DELHI: Fake currency notes of Rs 2,000, with a face value of Rs 4.22 lakh, smuggled in from Bangladesh have been seized by the DRI from a person when he was boarding a train to West Bengal's Malda from here, according to an official statement issued on Tuesday. Acting on input, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Monday recovered 211 pieces of fake India currency notes (FICN) of Rs 2,000 denomination each from him at old Delhi railway station, it said. "During interrogation, the accused has stated that he is a member of an international racket and working as a carrier for another handler," the statement said. He has carried these fake currency notes for delivery at places in Delhi and Haryana, it said. "The DRI has further mounted surveillance and intercepted the handler from Patna railway station today," the statement said. Both accused have been arrested at their respective locations and sent to judicial custody. Preliminary investigation revealed that the syndicate in Malda has been procuring these counterfeit notes from persons operating from Mohammadpur village in Bangladesh and supplying it in Delhi and adjoining areas on regular basis since introduction of new notes after demonetisation, the DRI statement said. As per expert opinion, these forged notes do not match with original ones on many counts. "The notes lack many security features but have enough similarities with original notes for bringing into circulation by befooling common public," it said. Since introduction of new currency notes post- demonetisation, the DRI has till date seized counterfeit notes in many cases at Mumbai, Delhi, Patna, Guwahati and Behrampur and recovered fake Indian currency notes having face value of Rs 50 lakh approximately. In all cases, it is seen that smuggling routes of FICN emanates out of Bangladesh, the DRI said.