Pakistan pushing fake Rs 2,000 notes via Bangladesh border into India: Report

Representational image only

Delhi: Pakistan-based counterfeiters are pushing fake Rs 2,000 notes through smugglers via the porous India-Bangladesh border, as per a media report.

The Indian Express quoted official sources as citing recent seizures and arrests made by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Border Security Force (BSF).

The latest seizures were made on February 8 in Murshidabad.

The notes were seized from one Azizur Rahman (26) who hails from Malda in West Bengal and he is said to have been carrying 40 fake notes of Rs 2,000 denomination, 

The Daily further quoted sources as saying that Rahman told investigators that they had been printed in Pakistan.

He also told them that the notes were printed allegedly with the help of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Then they had been smuggled across the border from Bangladesh.

Smugglers reportedly were required to pay Rs 400-600 in genuine currency for each fake Rs 2,000 note, depending on the quality, the report further quoted sources as citing interrogation records.

Moreover, at least 11 of the 17 security features in the new Rs 2,000 notes is said to have been replicated.

They include - transparent area, watermark, Ashoka Pillar emblem, the letters ‘Rs 2000’ on the left, the guarantee clause with the RBI governor’s signature and the denomination number in Devanagari on the front - The Indian Express quoted sources as saying.

The report further said that sources had said citing experts that the motif of Chandrayaan, the Swachh Bharat logo and the year of printing had been copied on the reverse side.

However, the print and paper quality of the seized counterfeits were poor.

But they supposedly resembled genuine notes and had the water mark and a crackling sound, similar to genuine currency.

First known attempt to smuggle fake currency was made in the last week of December 2016.

At that time samples from across the border were sent for approval to smugglers in Malda.

And the first seizures of such notes were recorded on January 22 and on February 4.

This time Piyarul Sheikh (16) and Digamber Mondol (42) were arrested by the local police and NIA, the report said.

Both hailed from Kaliachak in Malda. 

The government on November 08, 2016 had announced the demonetisation of all Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 banknotes.

New Rs 500 and Rs 2000 banknotes were issued in their place.