UP-link in FICN-for-fake gold nexus in Assam:Govt

Guwahati: A fake currency racket busted in Assam has revealed a Uttar Pradesh link to the fake gold trade, the govt said in the assembly on Thursday.Parliamentary affairs minister Pijush Hazarika said the govt would act strictly against networks dealing in Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) and fake gold.

He was replying to leader of opposition Wazed Ali Choudhury, who raised the recent seizure of FICN worth over Rs 13 lakh in Guwahati.Hazarika said, “There were two separate cases registered at the Dispur police station. In one case, police arrested three persons hailing from Uttar Pradesh with FICN. In the second case, police arrested two persons with FICN. Overall, police recovered FICN worth over Rs 13 lakh.”The minister said the seized notes were low-quality FICN. “During the police interrogation, the arrested accused, coming from UP, told police that they had come here to buy small boats made of fake gold.

Naoboicha and Bongalmara in Lakhimpur district are the epicentres of fake gold. The accused from UP brought FICN to buy these fake gold boats,” he added.Hazarika said the accused claimed that Abdul Gofur, Sahil and Sumi of Lakhimpur were involved in the racket. They also named Ekramul Islam, Mizanur Rahman and Hejbur Rahman, who were arrested on Thursday.“The state govt is very serious about the issue of FICN and will handle this strictly to end it,” Hazarika said.Outside the House, AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal called counterfeit currency a bigger threat than drugs and demanded stringent action.