Guwahati, July 17: Amidst an intensified drive against activities related to fake Indian currency notes (FICN), a team from the Special Task Force (STF) of Assam Police arrested a gang of dacoits, who were also dealing in counterfeit notes, from near Owona village under Rupahihat police station in Nagaon district on Sunday.
Acting upon reliable source intelligence developed by the DIGP of STF, Assam, Partha Sarathi Mahanta, an operation to nab the dacoits-cum-dealers in fake Indian currency notes (FICN) was carried out on Sunday morning.
“Four members of the gang were subsequently apprehended from near Owona village in Nagaon district around 2.30pm on Sunday. A pistol, along with live ammunition, a vehicle (Maruti Ertiga), bearing registration number AS-03H-9133 along with four mobile handsets were recovered and seized from their possession,” an official statement issued here on Monday said.
The apprehended four dacoits cum dealers of FICN were identified as Ajiful Islam (22); Mujibur Rahman (21); Nazrul Hoque (25) and Nazrul Hoque (21).
The arrested persons are residents of areas under Rupahihat police station in central Assam’s Nagaon district.
A case in this regard has been registered with the STF police station vide case number 08/2023 under Sections 392/394/420/34 of IPC, read with Section 25(1)(a) of Arms Act, 1959. Investigation is underway.
Of late, the STF has intensified its crackdown on fake Indian currency notes (FICN).
In a similar operation a week back, an STF team had, in connection with a case related to counterfeit Indian currency, launched a wee-hour operation here on July 9 and arrested a 31-year-old man, identified as Md Bulbul Alam, from a rented house at Dakhingaon under Hatigaon police station.
The arrested accused person is an original resident of Alooguti Chhar, under Alooguti Chhar police station in lower Assam’s Barpeta district.
The arrest came just three days after another accused, identified as Md Sahanoor Islam (28), was apprehended by an STF team from near the ISBT bypass here for involvement in activities relating to fake Indian currency notes (FICN).
Notably, after spot interrogation, a search operation was made at the house of the accused person located at Ahomgaon here, from where bundles of photocopied Indian currency notes (of 500 denomination) and bundles of blank white paper of size and shape of Indian currency notes (of 500 denomination) were recovered.
Police investigation had revealed that the accused was a cheater who lured people by providing double the amount of FICN against original Indian currency notes.
The modus operandi of Islam, who has been in this illegal trade for long, was to lure people and to loot the original currency notes when a person approached him for exchanging the notes.
A case (number 05/2023) was registered under Sections 120(B)/489(A)/489(C)/489(D) of IPC at STF police station following which Islam was arrested accordingly.
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