New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) said that it has arrested an absconding fake Indian currency racketeer in the Karnataka counterfeit currency case of 2018.

According to the national anti-terror probe agency, accused Sariful Islam, a resident of Malda in West Bengal was wanted in a case that was initially registered on March 12, 2018 at Chikkodi police station in Belagavi district of Karnataka and he is being produced before the Special Sessions Court Malda.

This case pertains to the arrest of two FICN racketeers and the seizure of fake Indian currency of face value of Rs 82,000 in March 2018.

The NIA had re-registered the case on April 14, 2018, and taken over the investigation.

The investigation has revealed that arrested accused Sariful Islam aka Sarifulla used to procure FICN from absconding accused Saddam Sekh and Hakim Sekh, the residents of Bangladesh for further circulation in Karnataka along with his co-accused persons. A reward of Rs 50,000/- was declared by NIA for information leading to the arrest of Sariful Islam.

Bengaluru NIA Special Court had earlier convicted five accused persons in the case for their role in procurement and circulation of FICN and sentenced them to imprisonment for six years.

Further investigation in the case to apprehend absconding Bangladeshi accused persons continues, the probe agency added.

(Agencies)