Currency counterfeiting gang plans big ahead of Eid

Detectives on Tuesday arrested 10 members of a currency counterfeiting gang with a plan to circulate fake notes worth of Tk2 crore in the market ahead of Eid.

The group is capable of printing fake notes worth Tk4 lakh in a day, and has been in operation for 6 years, according to Sumon Kanti, assistant police commissioner of the Detective Branch (DB, North Division) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police. “They used to circulate the fake money through their countrywide network,” he said.

In separate drives, conducted in Rampura and Hatirjheel, a team of DB police arrested 10 people and seized fake notes worth Tk37 lakh along with printing equipment, police sources confirmed.

During preliminary interrogation, the gang members confessed their crime, and said that they used to supply counterfeit notes upon orders from different parts of the country; and traded those in Gabtoli, Savar, and Nabinagar.

Anticipating increased demand in orders for supplying fake money ahead of Eid, the gang planned to go big, establishing a temporary printing facility inside the house of one of their members in Dhaka. 

Earlier, the circle’s mastermind, Labu, set up a fake money printing facility in Dhamrai upazila, sources at police said.

After his death in 2017, Nazmul, his second in command, transferred the establishment to Manikganj and created a strong distribution channel.

Later, Nazmul met Labu through a friend, hired a graphics designer named Liton from Nilkhet; they together continued their illegal business of fake notes circulation. 

During the preliminary investigation, other names have surfaced and efforts are on to arrest those involved in the currency counterfeit racket.

The alleged are Nazmul Hossain alias Nazmul, Tajul Islam Liton, Joynal Abedin, Sharif, and his wife Sharmin Akter.

Others include Jamir Shikdar, Mehedi Hasan Polash, Jahangir Alam alias Jony, Ramisur Rahman alias Sajal, and Fatema Begum.