This story is from August 17, 2020

NIA arrests two from Kishanganj for involvement in FICN smuggling racket

A team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested two persons from two different villages located just near to Indo-Nepal international border in Kishanganj on Monday for their alleged involvement in smuggling racket of Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) suspected of having links in other neighbouring countries too.
NIA arrests two from Kishanganj for involvement in FICN smuggling racket
Representative image
PATNA: A team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested two persons from two different villages located just near to Indo-Nepal international border in Kishanganj on Monday for their alleged involvement in smuggling racket of Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) suspected of having links in other neighbouring countries too.
Sources said the premier agency’s team after arresting duo, rushed to Silliguri in West Bengal for producing before their special court.

Sources said one of the arrested person was identified as Mukhtar Hussain (42) while another one was Baitullah (40). They said Mukhtar is native of village Chhauwa Bhitta under Jiapokhar police station area while another was native of village Suri Bhitta under Sukhani police station area. Both villages are neighbouring to each other and less than five kilometres from Nepal. The duo used to work as daily wagers in the villages.
Sources said both had been found to be linked with one Ghulam Murtaza who was arrested by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) from a bus stop at Bihar Mor in West Bengal’s Bagdogra on January 8 this year.
“He was arrested with FICN consignment of face value Rs 4.01 lakh. It had high quality fake notes of face value of Rs 2000. The accused was a native of Malda,” sources said.
The case was later took over by NIA for investigation in March and registered a FIR in Delhi on March 8 after direction from Counter terrorism and counter radicalisation (CTCR) division of Union ministry of home affairs due to seriousness of the matter.
Sources said NIA had now found involvement of Mukhtar and Baitullah with Ghulam. “Mukhtar had went to jail ten years back from Malda in connection with a FICN smuggling case only,” a source said.
“NIA had seized two cellphones and some documents from Mukhtar’s residence who used to work as daily wager in village. The seized cellphones might provide vital clues to NIA besides duo’s interrogation in which names of more persons is expected to surface for their involvement in the smuggling racket,” a source said.
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