NIA nabs Bengal man in fake currency circulation case

Mumbai branch of the National Investigating Agency (NIA) on Thursday nabbed a man in connection with a fake currency circulation case.

Sabir Jullur Rehman Ali, a resident of Malda in West Bengal, was arrested for allegedly procuring, trafficking and supplying counterfeit currency.

The case pertains to the seizure of 239 fake Indian currency notes, all in the denomination of Rs 2000, having a face value of Rs 4.78 Lakh in Bhiwandi, Thane, in Maharastra.

Five accused -- Rehan Shaikh, Shafahad Ansari, Anees Shaikh, Kishor Fular, Rohit Singh -- have been arrested in the case.

A case was registered in Bhiwandi Taluka Police Station in Thane on October 11 last year under sections 120B (punishment of criminal conspiracy), 489B (counterfeit currency-notes) and 489C (possession of counterfeit currency) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Investigation of the case was taken over from the police by the NIA on December 4, 2018.

Investigation revealed that pursuant to the criminal conspiracy, Anees Shaikh requested Samir Mandal to provide fake notes, Samir Mandal further contacted Abdul Kadir (wanted) for procurement of the fake notes.

Abdul Kadir subsequently coordinated with the wanted accused Karim Shaikh, a resident of Bangladesh, and procured counterfeit notes of the face value of Rs 5 lakh from him.

Kadir delivered the said fake notes to Samir Mandal through his brother Sabir Jullur Rehman Ali.

Sabir Jullur Rehman Ali was produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate at Malda, West Bengal for transit remand and will now be produced before the Special NIA Court at Mumbai for seeking his police remand for interrogation.

The agency has already filed a charge sheet in the case on in January against six accused before the special NIA court in Mumbai.