2 more included as accused in fake currency case

KOCHI: In a major breakthrough in the Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) case being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), two more persons including the kingpin in the case - Aboobeckar of Dubai - were included in the case.They are fourth accused Aboobeckar, Kadappuram of Hosdurg, and fifth accused Shanavas, Muthuvan Kattil, Kulathoorkunnu, Thrissur.“During the investigation, NIA got solid evidence against the two accused. Shanavas is in Mysore sub-jail in a counterfeit currency case while Aboobeckar is in Dubai. He is involved in distribution of fake currencies to Kasargod, Kanhangad and Kannur,” NIA officials said.The NIA also revealed that fake currencies are brought to India as part of ‘jihad’.Shanavas was arrested by the Mandy police while he was circulating counterfeit currencies worth Rs 1 lakh in Karnataka. The Eranakulam NIA Special court issued a production warrant for Shanavas based on which he would be produced before the court on January 5.“Shanavas collected  fake currency worth Rs 1 lakh from first accused Pradeepkumar. Then he moved to Karnataka,” the official added.The NIA team probing the Thaliparamba FICN case will go to Dubai for finding the origin of the notes. “The NIA got information that one container full of FICN was in possession of Aboobeckar. As per the confession, the first accused Pradeep visited Dubai on August 10, 2011, for verifying the quality of currencies and saw one container there. Then second accused Kamal Haji visited Dubai and brought huge quantity of counterfeit currencies with the help of his brother Aboobacker,” the official said.The five accused have international connections. It is suspected that the FICN were printed in Pakistan, the NIA said. The accused V P Pradeep Kumar of Cheruthazham, Kannur, L Kamal Ummar alias Kamal Haji of Hosdurg, Kasargod and M P Ashish of Mele Chovva, Kannur are the first three accused . The NIA official said that an alarming quantity of counterfeit currency printed in Pakistan are entering the state from the Gulf countries. “International counterfeit rackets are using people coming from the Gulf countries as carriers of small quantities of fake currency,” the NIA said.