664 fake notes with face value of Rs 6,50,800 seized in six months

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, July 19: Make a mental note of the fact that all currency notes in their mint condition are not genuine, and some of them are fake ones in circulation in the country. The mece of fake Indian currency notes (FICN) is far from being over in India, including Assam. The mece, allegedly being run from across the Bangladesh border, is out to destabilize the Indian economy.

In Assam fake currency notes with a face value of Rs 6,50,800 involving 664 fake notes were recovered in the past six months from January 1, 2017 to June 30. The break-up of the 664 fakes notes is – 149 notes of 2000-rupee denomition, 225 notes of the banned 1000-rupee denomition, 254 notes of 500-rupee denomition, one note of 100-rupee denomition and 35 notes of 20-rupee denomitions. It is not known if the banned 225 notes of 1000-rupee denomition are genuine or fake. As many as seven FIRs have been lodged against 15 accused in the State against the seizure of the fake notes. They, according to police sources, can be arrested under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 for crimilizing the production for smuggling or circulation of high-quality fake Indian paper currency, coins or any other materials as a terrorist act.

According to police sources, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has formed a special FICN Coordition Group (FCORD) for sharing information among different agencies of the States and the Centre for the problem of circulation of fake currency notes in the country.

A Terror Funding and Fake Currency Cell (TFFC) has also  been constituted by the tiol Investigation Agency (NIA) to investigate terror funding and fake currency notes.

Since the mece of fake currency notes is allegedly run from across the Bangladesh border, New Delhi has signed an MoU with the neighbouring country to prevent and counter smuggling and circulation of fake currency notes, the police sources said.