NIA quizzes Bangladeshi national held for smuggling fake notes

The NIA, which is probing the seizure of fake Indian currency notes (FICNs) in West Bengal, on Tuesday interrogated a Bangladeshi national who was apprehended two days ago by the BSF for smuggling in counterfeit money.

The accused Majrul Rehman, said to be a resident of Bangladesh's Chapai Nawabganj district, was arrested by the BSF troopers while he was trying to smuggle in fake currency notes with a face value of Rs 18 lakh in Sovapur border outpost area in Malda district.

"While the local police have registered the case, we interrogated Rehman to see if he has links with a gang involved in smuggling FICNs. We have not taken up the investigation of this case but if ordered we will surely undertake investigations," an NIA officer said.

The agency in October this year had arrested Uttam Kumar Sinha, the kingpin of a network involved in smuggling high quality FICNs into India, from Dhanbad in Jharkhand.

NIA sleuths also collected information from the Kolkata STF which has arrested three suspected ISI agents from the city.

Besides several incriminating documents, the STF seized fake currency notes with a face value of Rs 5 lakh from the trio.

"We have just sought information about the trio from the Kolkata STF. We have not taken up the investigation of the case. We can undertake the probe only if we get formal orders," added the NIA officer.