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West Bengal steps up vigil against fake currency

Our Special Correspondent

KOLKATA, FEB. 21. The circulation of counterfeit currency notes in parts of West Bengal, particularly in areas adjoining Bangladesh, has prompted the State Government to instruct the local authorities to step up vigil. Nearly 40 cases of seizure of fake notes have been reported over the past year and investigations revealed that a large chunk of these notes had found their way into the State from across its border with Bangladesh.

The Border Security Force and the Customs have been alerted on suspicion that some foreign intelligence agencies were sponsoring racketeers manufacturing counterfeit notes across the border that end up being circulated in the local market, Government sources told The Hindu .

The functions of a cell set up recently under the Finance Department to investigate economic offences will include keeping a check on matters relating to the circulation of counterfeit currency notes. Senior officials of the State police, Customs, the BSF and the Reserve Bank of India met recently to discuss ways to tackle fake currency menace.

There have also been instances of fake currency notes finding their way from Nepal into the markets of north Bengal, the Inspector-General of Police, North Bengal, Bhupinder Singh, said. Fake currency notes were also found to be in circulation in Malda district.

The Superintendent of Police, S.K. Poojari, said there was strong suspicion that a large quantity of these notes, mainly of Rs. 100 and Rs. 500 denominations, had been smuggled in from Bangladesh. "There is no barbed fencing along half the stretch of the district's border with Bangladesh and we have been instructed by the State administration to step up vigil against the smuggling in of such notes.

The RBI officials from Kolkata is expected to train the police, BSF and Customs personnel in detection of counterfeit currency," he added.

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