A currency investigation that began with a tip-off now points to a wider alleged network
A fortnight-long investigation by Dispur Police into the circulation of counterfeit currency in Guwahati has uncovered a suspected larger network involving a fake currency printing setup in the city and another alleged operation in Lakhimpur district.
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What began with a tip-off about counterfeit notes being exchanged in Guwahati has now expanded into a probe involving a printing machine allegedly hidden in the Kalakhetra area and another suspected setup in Bongalmora in Lakhimpur district. Investigators believe the fake currency was not meant to remain confined to Assam but was part of a wider network.
“The network that has come to light in recent times, we still have a lot to investigate,” a senior police officer involved in the case said. “For now, we know that most of the notes seized in Assam were meant to be smuggled into other parts of the country. The criminals don't use the FICN alone. They try to mix it with notes already in circulation.”
According to the officer, blending counterfeit notes with genuine currency is a deliberate method used to make detection more difficult once the fake bills enter the cash economy. The officer believes the racket requires a wider nationwide investigation to trace the full extent of the network, as the seizures in Assam may represent only one part of a larger operation.
The case came to light after Dispur Police carried out two operations on June 30 and July 1, recovering counterfeit Indian currency notes with a face value of around Rs 13.46 lakh. Police, however, dismissed as false a claim made by one of the accused that counterfeit currency worth Rs 100 crore was circulating in the market.
Five people have been arrested so far. The latest arrests were made on Thursday, when three persons from North Lakhimpur: Md Hejbur Rahman (37), Md Mizanur Rahman, also known as Mizu (36), and Md Ekramul Islam (26) were taken into custody.
Investigators said the accused allegedly used a simple method of circulating fake notes by passing them off as genuine during regular transactions, relying on the possibility that people would not immediately identify them as counterfeit.
The investigation took a significant turn after the arrest of Ajay Biswakarma, who was shot and injured while allegedly attempting to escape police custody.
DCP East T.R. Pegu said Biswakarma was taken to the Kalakhetra area after he allegedly revealed the location of a fake currency printing machine during interrogation. According to police, when he attempted to flee, officers fired warning shots in the air before firing at his legs to stop him. One bullet hit him. He was later hospitalised and is reportedly in stable condition.
For the police, the discovery of the Kalakhetra printing setup was the first clear indication that the racket went beyond the circulation of counterfeit notes. It pointed to an organised effort to manufacture them.
A separate link in the investigation emerged following the arrest of a group of men from Uttar Pradesh who were allegedly found carrying FICN.
Responding to questions in the Assam Legislative Assembly, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pijush Hazarika said two separate cases had been registered at Dispur Police Station: one involving three men from Uttar Pradesh caught with fake currency and another involving two more arrests.
During interrogation, the man reportedly told police that they had not come to Assam to sell counterfeit currency but to purchase it, specifically to use it for buying small “boats” made of fake gold. Hazarika identified Naoboicha and Bongalmora in Lakhimpur district as centres of the fake gold trade and said the accused had named several other alleged associates, including Abdul Gofur, Sahil and Sumi of Lakhimpur, along with the three persons arrested on Thursday.
The detail has remained a key point for investigators, a shadow economy where counterfeit currency and fake gold allegedly fuel each other, operating quietly on the margins of the districts and coming to light only after one side of the transaction was caught carrying the wrong currency.
Police are now examining possible links between the two suspected centres: Kalakhetra in Guwahati, where a printing setup was allegedly found, and Bongalmora in Lakhimpur, which has emerged as another suspected hub. While officials suspect both may be connected to the same supply chain, the link has not yet been confirmed.
“The state government is very serious about the issue of FICN and will handle this strictly to end it,” Hazarika told the Assembly. He added that the seized notes were of low quality but had still circulated through several transactions before being detected.
Beyond the seizures and arrests, the investigation has also highlighted the impact on ordinary people who unknowingly received counterfeit notes during daily transactions. Police said further arrests are expected as investigators continue tracing the movement of fake currency from the suspected printing locations and attempt to determine whether the network extends beyond Assam into other states.
For a case that began with a single tip-off, the investigation has now opened up questions about the scale and reach of the counterfeit currency network still under examination.