New Delhi, Jun 8 (PTI) A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai has sentenced two Bangladeshi nationals to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment in the Thane fake currency case.
The accused - Abdullah Shaikdar and Najmul Hasan of Khulna, Bangladesh - have also been fined Rs 10,000 each under sections of the Indian Panel Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, a spokesperson of the federal agency said.
The official said high quality counterfeit currency notes with a face value of Rs 4,08,000 were being circulated in Maharashtra after being procured from Bangladesh in the case, originally registered by the Thane City Police in 2015 on the basis of specific intelligence shared by the Anti-Narcotic Cell, Crime Branch, Thane City.
NIA investigations have revealed that Shaikdar, with the help of five other accused (all residents of Khulna), was circulating the high quality Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICNs) in different parts of Thane district, the spokesperson said.
Two of his accomplices -- Hasan and Mohd Sobuj Motur Khan -- were arrested.
Initially, the police, during personal search of the accused, had seized 40 fake notes of Rs 1,000 denomination. Subsequently, searches of their homes led to the seizure of another 364 fake notes of the same denomination, while four similar notes were seized from three witnesses in the case, the spokesperson said.
In the course of its investigation, the official said the NIA recorded the statements of witnesses, scrutinised mobile records, and collected other pieces of documentary evidence to unearth the full conspiracy.
A chargesheet was filed against the accused, and vigorous pursual of the trial over three years finally resulted in the conviction of the two accused, the spokesperson said.