JMB activists get `30,000 for fake currency circulation: Cops

With a motive to cause harm to the economy of India and Bangladesh besides carrying out subversive activities, Jamat-Ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) gives Rs 30,000 to each of its activists for circulating counterfeit currencies worth Rs 1 lakh in these two countries.

With the arrest of the six JMB leaders by the Kolkata Police’s Special Task Force (STF) on Sunday and one more by the Assam police on Tuesday has brought the new tactics taken up by the banned outfit to light.

The policy of infusing counterfeit currency in the countries was taken up to create a financial instability in both the countries and at the same time it is one of the main sources to raise fund required to carry out their activities.

According to the data of the National Crime Records Bureau, 30,354,604 counterfeit currencies were seized in 2014 across the country and the stiff increase in the presence of fake notes in the Indian market has come up as a serious threat to the nation.

Sources both in STF and Assam Police have confirmed that case studies have revealed that nine out of ten JMB activists were either directly involved in circulating fake currencies or they operate as linkmen between the “non-JMB members” of different counterfeit rackets operating between India and Bangladesh.

Investigation after the arrest of the JMB leaders from Assam and different parts of Bengal revealed that at present Rs 30,000 is the “commission” that is being given by the JMB for circulating fake currency worth Rs 1 lakh.

The officers came to know that the amount went up to Rs 30,000 from around Rs 22,000 a year ago when vigil had gone up following the Khagragarh blast incident.

It may be recalled that the JMB activist Jabirul alias Jahidul Islam was arrested from Cachar district in Assam on Saturday and it had led to the arrest of the rest five leaders of the group from Bengal. Jabirul was initially arrested on charges of being involved with a fake currency racket. Later, police came to know that he is also a JMB activist.

On Tuesday again, Assam police arrested another JMB activist, Azizur Rahaman, from bordering Gumrah village in Cachar district and suspect that he was also involved with circulation of fake currency.

Rajveer Singh, Superintendent of police of Cachar district in Assam, said: “There is a section of JMB activists who remain involved all the time planning to carry out subversive activities, but it doesn’t mean that they are unaware of the fund raising process by circulating fake currencies. There is another section of the activists who are completely involved in circulating counterfeit currencies.”

“There are three basic reasons which drive youth to get involved in fake currency circulation racket after being approached by JMB leaders or activists.

First of all, there are some youth who get motivated by the ideology of the outfit while there are some who get involved after failing to fight against poverty. There are some people who were forcefully involved into the activities after getting threatened with dire consequences,” Singh said.

Officers of the Kolkata Police’s STF are in constant touch with the Assam Police to get information about Azizur who was arrested on Tuesday.

It is learnt that following the steps taken by the Bengal police to check presence of JMB activists in the state, the Assam Police too is taking steps to get information verification of tenants in each house in the bordering areas in districts including Cachar and Karimganj.

A police officer said that there are strong provisions to take legal steps against the landlords of a house if they found deliberately giving shelter to activists of any terror group. The quantum of punishment would be maximum 10 years of imprisonment.