Patna, Feb 12: An NIA court has sentenced two men to seven years in prison for their involvement in a syndicate that dealt with counterfeit Indian currency notes in collaboration with Nepali and Bangladeshi nationals, according to a statement from the agency on Wednesday.
The case pertains to the confiscation of fake currency notes valued at Rs 1,90,500 in Rs 2,000 and Rs 500 denominations from Md Mumtaz at the Sarkari Bus Stand in Bihar’s Purnea on December 3, 2019.
On Tuesday, the special court delivered its verdict against the two individuals in the currency smuggling case involving citizens from Bangladesh and Nepal, as per the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Both Mumtaz and Md Baitullah, residents of Bihar, received a seven-year prison sentence and were ordered to pay a fine of Rs 8,000.
The NIA’s investigation revealed the involvement of a total of six individuals in the case. Specifically, Mumtaz, alongside Baitullah, Golam Mortaza alias Citu, Sadek Mia, Biltu Mahto from Nepal, and Md Munshi from Bangladesh, conspired to obtain and smuggle counterfeit notes from Bangladesh into India with the intent to harm India’s economy, the statement indicated.
The NIA filed charges against all six accused through various charge sheets between May 2020 and July 2021. It was noted that Mortaza passed away in judicial custody during the trial, while Mahto and Munshi were declared absconders.
The investigation revealed that currency was collected from Mortaza by the accused and delivered to Mumtaz for further distribution, with Mumtaz acting under Mahto’s instructions. Mortaza had been receiving the counterfeit consignments from Munshi, who was associated with Sadek Mia, according to the probe agency. (PTI)
