New Delhi, March 1 (IANS) In a major breakthrough, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a Nepali citizen, absconding since 2014, in a fake Indian currency case involving a Dubai-based Pakistani national, an official said.

“Accused Noor Mohammed of district Bara of Nepal, who was carrying a non-bailable warrant (NBW) for his arrest, was apprehended on Sunday from the Police Station Shahpur Patori area in Samastipur, Bihar,” the agency said in a statement on Sunday.

NIA had charge-sheeted him before its special court at Patiala House Courts in New Delhi in the case in November 2017.

“NIA had registered the case RC-02/2014/NIA/DLI in June 2014 under various sections of IPC and UA (P) Act, following the recovery of 4,988 high-quality counterfeit Indian currency notes of Rs 1,000 denomination, having a face value of Rs 49,88,000 in April 2014,” the agency said.

The currency, seized at Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, was brought into the country from Dubai on 17th and 18th April 2014, it said.

NIA investigation had revealed that the accused Noor Mohammed had entered into a criminal conspiracy with co-accused Ekramul Ansari and others, including Pakistani national Syed Muhammad Shafi @ Shafi Chacha, for procurement, transportation, supply and circulation of high-quality Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) in India.

As part of the conspiracy aimed at adversely impacting the country’s monetary stability, Noor Mohammed had facilitated meetings between the co-accused persons for the transportation and supply of FICN.

NIA found during the investigation that Noor Mohammed had closely monitored the delivery of the seized consignment.

Further investigation into the case is ongoing.

In a separate case, on February 6 this year, the NIA had filed a charge-sheet against Md. Fasi Uddin, a resident of Hyderabad, in connection with the seizure of high-quality Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) from Banjariya in Bihar’s Champaran district, which exposed a transnational counterfeit currency racket allegedly operating through networks linked to Pakistan and Nepal.

According to the NIA, Md. Fasi Uddin was an active member of an international network involved in the procurement, smuggling, and circulation of counterfeit currency aimed at undermining India’s economic security.

–IANS

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