CBI today arrested two persons in Moradabad for allegedly smuggling fake currency notes, which in terms of real currency value come to about Rs 2.37 lakh, from Indo-Bangla border to Uttar Pradesh ahead of general elections.
Based on the intelligence, the agency was tracking their movements from Malda in West Bengal and intercepted them at Moradabad railway station today recovering the counterfeit currency.
"The recovered FICN are in the denomination of Rs.1000 and Rs. 500. Both the accused arrived at Moradabad railway station by train carrying the FICN which they had allegedly received from Kaliachak in Malda District of West Bengal on February 26, 2014," CBI spokesperson said.
The arrests assume importance as Home Ministry has also alerted the para-military forces about the possibility of fake currency being pushed into the country from international borders ahead of general elections.
"During the last week, CBI had also arrested two accused of Moradabad and Rampur area of Uttar Pradesh for alleged possession of FICN. Both the accused had reached Lucknow railway station by Malda-New Delhi Express carrying the FICN which they had allegedly received from Kaliachak in Malda district," the official said.
Meanwhile, a special CBI judge at Tis Hazari courts here has convicted one Adarsh Pal Singh for possession and circulation of Fake Indian Currency Notes of Rs 15.91 lakh and sentenced him to undergo two years rigorous imprisonment.
He carried 3183 pieces of fake notes of 500 Rupee denomination which were concealed in LCD TV and covered with carbon paper to avoid detection by the scanner installed at the IGI Airport, which was allegedly brought by him from Bangkok.
