NIA nets kingpin of counterfeit currency racket in Kolkata

The arrest came a day after the Special Task Force of Kolkata Police arrested six activists of Jamat-Ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh. The police came to know about the activists after one of them Jabirul alias Jahidul Islam was arrested from Cachar in Assam on charges of circulating counterfeit currency.

The investigating officers had come to know that Asim, who was a resident of Gokulnagar at Kaliachak in Malda, was accompanying them. But he had managed to escape a few minutes before the raid was conducted by the NIA.

The investigating officers had found his voter identity card from the same car and undertaken a search at his house. The officers came to know that he was basically from a farmers’ family and agriculture was his source of livelihood. But he later got involved in counterfeit currency racket and drug peddling.

Soon after knowing that he was the kingpin of the counterfeit currency racket, the central investigating agency had announced an award of Rs 50,000 to anyone providing information about him.

Acting on a tip-off, officers of NIA were waiting outside the Kolkata Airport and swooped down as soon as he was spotted. Asim had been absconding for more than a year. Raids were conducted at various places after the investigating officers received information about his presence in the area, but he always managed to give cops the slip.

Revealing names of Asim’s close aides and associates, an officer in NIA said that Alam Sheikh, Mahirul Sheikh, Amirul Sheikh were members of the same racket. All three used to follow directions from Asim. Alam and Mahirul used to handover packets containing counterfeit currencies to Amirul, who used to take it to Asim. He used to operate mainly from Baishnabnagar. Investigating officers also got to know that the money was sent by him via Pakur in Jharkhand.

Asim was the main person who distributed the money in different parts of the country. NIA came to know about two persons Rajan Chopra and Suresh Chopra who used to assist Asim in distributing the counterfeit currencies to different parts of the country. Asim was also wanted in a case of counterfeit currency by Punjab Police.