Kingpin of counterfeit currency syndicate arrested in Ctg

Detective Branch (DB) of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) arrested the couple in possession with fake currency worth Tk 260,000 lakh from Halishahar area of the port city. The arrestees were identified as Md Jasim Uddin, 32 and his wife Bibi Taslima Akter Shilpi, 26, hailing from Paschim Gomdandi union of Boalkhali upazila in Chittagong, said DB sources. “Jasim is known to be the kingpin of counterfeit currency in Chittagong, able to distribute fake money through a strong syndicate,” said Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Bandar-Pachsim Maruf Hossain at a press briefing. “Acting on tip off a DB team led by Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Nazmul Hasan raided a flat on the fifth floor of one Basundhara Tower on Tuesday night at around 10:30pm and arrested them along with 260 pieces of forged notes with a domination of Tk1000”, said the DC adding that seven mobile phones were also seized from them. DC Maruf said the couple had been circulating the counterfeit money in Cox’s Bazar, Noakhali, Feni, and Laxmipur districts for a long time. “Jasim is known as the kingpin of fake money in Chittagong region, he has been running this business for the last eight years with his wife,” said DC Maruf adding that the gang was planning to circulate a huge amount of money in the market ahead of Eid celebrations. ADC Nazmul Hasan told Dhaka Tribune that “ five to six sub-agents were working in the city under Jasim's supervision.” DB officials said the fake notes were made and circulated in three phases. The first phase constituted the gang making the fake money, the second phase is when that money would be handed over to local agents and the third phase is when that money is circulated in the local market. “Jasim was working on the second stage and had distributed the fake notes among his sub-agents, collecting the forged notes from Dhaka,” said ADC Nazmul Hasan. The ADC said that there were around three more counterfeit currency gangs reportedly active in the city that the police are working on apprehending them. A case has been filed against Jasim and his wife on January 1 with the Khulshi police station under the Currency Counterfeit Act. The couple has been handed over to Halishahar police station while a case has been filed in connection.