On the Indo–Bangladesh International Border in West Bengal, alert troops of the 71st Battalion, BSF South Bengal Frontier, deployed at Border Outpost (BOP) Sovapur, acting on specific intelligence, foiled an attempt of Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) smuggling and seized counterfeit notes worth ₹1,99,500/- (399 notes of ₹500 each).
On 3rd September, BSF troops of BOP Sovapur received secret information regarding possible FICN smuggling. Acting on the input, all troops deployed on duty were placed on high alert. Around 1 PM, duty personnel noticed suspicious movement near the border fence from the Bangladesh side. The alert troops immediately alerted other jawans on duty and rushed towards the spot. A thorough search of the area was conducted, during which a suspicious packet was recovered. On opening, counterfeit Indian currency notes were found inside, which were immediately seized by the BSF troops.
Preliminary investigation revealed that all the recovered notes were fake. A total of 399 notes of ₹500 were seized, amounting to ₹1,99,500/-. It is suspected that the counterfeit notes were thrown across the border into India by Bangladeshi smugglers to be picked up by their Indian counterparts. However, due to the alertness of BSF troops, the smugglers’ attempt failed.
The seized counterfeit notes have been handed over to the concerned department for further action.
The Public Relations Officer of BSF South Bengal Frontier, while giving details about the incident, stated that the smuggling of fake Indian currency poses a serious threat to the nation’s economy, and under the changed circumstances, this threat has further increased. He further added that BSF is fully committed to preventing all kinds of illegal activities along the border.
