Fake cash case: NIA, RAW to probe Pakistan link

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Sleuths of various Central investigation agencies, including the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) have flown down here to probe Pakistan-Bangladesh link in the fake currency racket that was busted on Saturday from Neyyattinkara.The police team held eight persons hailing from West Bengal, who according to the investigation agencies were posing as labourers to carry out illegal activities in the state. The agencies are also probing into possible terror links of the arrested.The gang was busted with Rs. 2.19 lakh counterfeit currency notes of Rs.1,000, Rs. 500 and Rs.100 denominations, which almost were nearperfect to the original Indian currency notes.It is the suspicion that the near-perfect counterfeit notes were printed in Pakistan and routed to the state via Bangladesh which got the Central agencies to probe the case.Last year, Kochi city police had arrested one Azadul, who was trying to transact fake notes in the city. He was alleged to have Maoist connections.The Central agencies are also probing for any connection between Azadul and those held in Neyyattinkara.The interrogation by the NIA officials which started on Saturday evening continued till Sunday.Other premier Central investigation agencies, including the Military Intelligence, Intelligence Bureau (IB) have also sent in their officials.Meanwhile, Neyyattinkara DySP Gopakumaran Nair, under whom the gang was busted, said that the investigation revealed that the accused were not migrant labourers.“The abundance of migrant labourers in the state was a perfect cover for their illegal activities. The Central agencies are probing the foreign connection in the case and are also looking at the possible terror link of the suspects,” he said.“A month ago, the Neyyattinkara police had nabbed another group of fake currency racketeers, all of them Keralites, while trying to transact fake notes at the a Cooperative bank in the locality.Probe is also on to find out whether they are also connected with the group in custody,” he added.There were several incidents where the police arrested migrant labourers, especially those who hailed from West Bengal while trying to transact counterfeit currency at various shops in the city.