Dhaka Metropolitan Police arrested two suspected members of a counterfeit currency racket with fake Indian currencies worth Rs 7.35 crore in the capital on Friday.
The arrested were identified as Fatema Akhter Opi and Sheikh Md Abu Taleb.
Acting on a tip-off, a special team of Khilkhet police station conducted drives in the Khilkhet and Demra areas, apprehended the duo and seized the fake Indian currencies.
Briefing reporters at DMP Media Centre on Saturday, Deputy Commissioner (Gulshan zone) Md Asaduzzaman said Khilkhet police had information that a woman was standing on a paved road in front of the main gate of Banrupa residential area under the Khilkhet police station with a huge quantity of counterfeit Indian rupees.
A special team of Khilkhet police conducted a drive and arrested Fatema and seized 50,000 counterfeit Indian rupees from her possession.
Based on her statement, the law enforcers conducted another drive at her Panditpara residence under Dakkhin Khan police station and seized 7,34,50,000 fake Indian rupees, he said.
Sheikh Mohammad Abu Taleb, another member of the fraud ring, was later arrested in the Sarulia area under Demra police station on the basis of the information provided by Fatema, the DC said.
He further said that Fatema was an active member of the international Indian counterfeit money smuggling syndicate.
For a long time, she used to collect Indian counterfeit currency from Pakistan through international networks and smuggle it to India, he said.
Taleb handed over the recovered Indian counterfeit currency to Fatema on November 23.
Among the 500 sacks of marble imported from Pakistan through Pakistan nationals Sultan and Shafi, Taleb skillfully smuggled the counterfeit Indian currency to Bangladesh through Sri Lanka, the police official said.
Ninety five fake currency laden sacks, out of the 500 sacks, were marked with pink thread, the DC added.
A case was filed with Khilkhet police station in connection with the incident.
