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| Spurt in inflow of fake currency from Bangladesh | | |
New Delhi, Sept 19: The inflow of counterfeit Indian currency from Bangladesh through the porous Eastern borders has gone up significantly this year, setting the alarm bells ringing for security agencies.
Border Security Force (BSF) personnel have seized fake currency with a face value of around Rs 5.7 lakh till the end of August as against Rs 34,000 netted last year, registering a 16-fold increase and arrested at least 25 people.
Most of the arrested were Bangladeshi nationals who landed in BSF custody in sectors like Malda, Coochbehar and Kolkata and the border force has registered over 20 cases of smuggling of fake currency, official sources told.
The spurt in smuggling has become a spot of concern for the BSF which is already struggling to check infiltration and cattle smuggling along the 4096-km long border, resulting in frequent skirmishes between BSF and the BDR.
Another worrying factor was the emergence of an organised smuggling racket. "The recoveries are large and the incidents less. This shows that they are carrying large quantities of currency and have become more organised," an official said.
BSF officials feel that the presence of densely-populated habitations near the zero line and unfenced patches give smugglers adequate cover and were a major reason for the rise in smuggling of both fake currency and cattleheads.
Officials suggest that 150 yards from the border line be converted into an 'exclusive zone', where cultivation and habitation should not be allowed so that security personnel will get freedom of operation.
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