Rab busts fake note factory

Rab yesterday arrested eight persons, including two females, from different areas in the capital and seized Rs 52 lakh in counterfeit Indian notes from a fake rupee factory.

The equipment and ingredients seized from the factory located in a flat in the capital's Monipuripara could produce fakes amounting to Indian Rs 10 crore, Mufti Mahmud Khan, Rab's Legal and Media wing director, said while briefing journalists on the spot yesterday evening.

The fake rupees were produced in the flat and mainly used to buy goods from the bordering area of the northern districts, Mahmud said.

Sometimes the gang members sold the fake notes in the bordering areas to those travelling to India.

Photo: Collected

The rupees look authentic as the gang tried to include all the security features.  It was not easy to identify the fakes as India recently introduced new bank notes, the Rab official said.  

Rs one lakh in counterfeit cash used to be sold for Tk 10,000-15,000 to members of the gang, he said.  

The eight arrestees are-- Selim, his wife Ramisa and their relative Ranu, who are tenants of the flat, along with their accomplices Shaheen, Bashir, Al Amin, Khosru and Sabuz.

Selim, who started the illicit business, lived in the flat with his wife for three years, Mufti said. 

Bashir, who lives in a bordering district, collected at least three consignments of counterfeit Indian Rs 50 lakhs from Selim, he said, adding another consignment was prepared for delivery.

Rab also seized Tk 5 lakh Bangladeshi genuine currency from the flat.

Visiting the spot, this correspondent saw that the gang established the factory in the three-room flat, furnished with modern furniture so that visitors would be unable to understand that it was a factory.

The gang established the factory in a flat to evade law enforcers, Mahmud said.

A Rab official, seeking anonymity, said the couple used to hide the equipment under the bed and inside other furniture.

Selim used to print the fake currency at night and the two women used to shape them during the day, he said.

Mohammad Lelin, a security guard of the building, said Selim introduced himself as a readymade garments trader when renting the house.

“Recently, the couple did not allow me inside for even a moment when I went to collect the monthly rent,” he said.