5 held with counterfeit notes in Nilphamari

Their plan was to spread fake notes in different Northern districts of Bangladesh.

Believing the people of these districts to not be educated enough to spot fakes, the syndicate had even started a market survey ahead of Eid-ul Azha.

But local law enforcers caught wind of their schemes soon enough and arrested five members of the gang last night.

"This is the first time in the last five years that members of an inter-district currency counterfeiting gang are arrested in Nilphamari," Mohammed Mokhlesur Rahman, superintendent of police in the district, told The Daily Star today, following the arrests.

Both fake and original currency notes recovered from the possession of five members of an inter-district currency counterfeiting gang arrested in Nilphamari on June 23, 2020. Photo: Collected

Following the arrest of five members of the inter-district fake currency manufacturing gang yesterday night, Nilphamari district police claimed to have learned about the activities. They also recovered a stash of fake notes from their possession.

The incident took place on Tuesday, police said, adding that they have learned new information about the activities of the gang.

The arrestees are: Md Saddam (25), Md Samsul (29), Masum Mia (28), Md Saidul Kha (26), and Shafiqul Islam (24).

A case was filed on the same day with Domar Police Station in this connection.

Of the arrestees, Shamsul is the ringleader of a syndicate involved in spreading fake notes for last four to five years, said the SP.

Police first arrested Saddam with Tk 2,000 in fake notes while he tried to buy some sanitary products from a shop in Domar area of Nilphamari on Tuesday noon, he said.

Based on information provided by Saddam, police later conducted a drive at a residential hotel in Dinajpur and arrested four others and recovered around Tk 3.85 lakh in counterfeit notes and Tk 23, 640 in original currency notes from their possession, said SP Rahman.

"We have come to know that these people hail from different districts and came together to make the inter-district fake currency gang members," the police official said.

"Primarily, we have come to know that there are around eight members of the gang. We are now investigating the case to know how they got connected and are also conducting drives to arrest other members," the SP added.