The Chhattisgarh Police during the past six years has seized major haul of Fake Indian Currency Note (FICN) with face value of over 87 lakh in the State with rural pockets becoming easy hotspots for fake currency circulators.
Recent studies and crime trends indicate that rural areas of Chhattisgarh are turning out to be the easy hot spot for FICN peddlers for disposing of counterfeits. Moreover, they also prefer weekly markets and fairs in villages for disposing the fake currency. In an attempt to undertake the illegal business in an ‘organized’ manner, peddlers are also recruiting agents in the country.
The State police have registered more than 350 cases in which 270 accused were arrested in cases pertaining to possession of counterfeit currency and other related crime.
As per information received from Inspector General of Police (IGP) (CID) PN Tiwari, counterfeit currency to the tune of over Rs13.90 lakh were seized in 69 cases recorded in 2008, FICN with face value of Rs11.14,820 were recovered in 2009 (in around 67 cases) and counterfeit currency with the face value of Rs2,52,060 were seized in 2010 (in about 57 cases).
likewise, FICN with face value of Rs4,80,300 were seized in about 63 cases recorded in 2011 and fake currencies to the tune of over Rs7,87,800 were recovered in 2012.
The IGP further stated that with the arrest of 39 persons including three women in 37 cases, police have seized FICN with face value of over Rs23 lakh in the State (2013) and fake currency to the tune of over Rs24 lakh were recovered with arrest of 38 persons in 22 cases recorded in 2014 while FICN with face value of around 11,500 were recovered in four cases recorded between January-March 2015.
FICN to the tune of over Rs87 lakh, with denomination of Rs10, Rs20, Rs50, Rs100,
Rs500 and Rs1,000, were seized across the State in last six years, said Tiwari.
He further elaborated that of the seized Rs87 lakh fake currency, 21 counterfeits notes were in denomination of Rs10, 36 notes in denomination of Rs20, 552 in denomination of Rs50, 5286 in denomination of Rs100, 7722 in denomination of Rs500 and 4079 in denomination of Rs1,000.
According to sources in Central Investigation Department (CID), the northern region of the State which shares border with Odisha are much affected, adding that maximum cases pertaining to transportation of counterfeit notes were reported in Mahasamund, Raigarh, Surguja, Janjgir, Raipur, Bilaspur and other areas of the State. Citing reports of Intelligence Bureau (IB), the sources said Pakistan is the key source of FICN and from Pakistan fake currency is being circulated to Nepal, Bangladesh and later it is transported to India, elaborating that Malda and Murshidabad in West Bengal is a hub of counterfeits in the country.
He further claimed that from the aforementioned two places fake currencies are being circulated across the country.
Improper and less utilisation of currency identification machine being installed in banks could be the prime reason that FICN are coming out of ATM machines, believed CID sources.
Ruling out the possibility of link between Maoists and people disposing counterfeits in the State, Tiwari said as Chhattisgarh does not have proximity to any international border and coastal regions, the threat here is not so serious but improper investigation to find out the source of FICN’s procurement is making it serious.