Thursday, November 25, 2010

Indo-Nepal Border Vulnerable to Infiltration of FICN

Press Information Bureau
Government of India
Ministry of Home Affairs
23-November-2010 15:23 IST

As per available information Indo-Nepal border has also proved vulnerable to infiltration of fake Indian currency notes (FICN), with border districts being used as transit and storage points. 

As per available information, cases having inter-State and international linkages behind printing and circulation of FICNs have come to notice. Available inputs also indicate that the international dimension of FICN circulation has increased in the last few years. To address the multi-dimensional aspects of the FICN menace, several agencies such as the RBI, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the security and Intelligence Agencies of the Centre the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), etc. are working in tandem to thwart the nefarious activity related to FICNs. The activities of these agencies are also periodically reviewed by a nodal group set up for this purpose. In this context, at the functional level, the CBI has been declared as the nodal agency for coordination with the States, the Directorate General of Revenue Intelligence has been nominated as the Lead Intelligence Agency for this purpose. Apart from the above, the State Governments have been asked to set up dedicated and well-equipped Cell under senior level supervision to comprehensively monitor and deal with organized crimes including FICN, and also specifically designate a nodal officer to coordinate activities relating to FICNs. The States have also been asked to set up a Committee headed by the DGP of the State with GM/ DGM of RBI, Senior Officers of SIB, Intelligence Branch of State Police, CID of State Police, etc. as members. Further, the offences under IPC, relating to counterfeit currency have been included in the schedule to the National Investigation Agency Act, thereby empowering the National Investigation Agency to investigate and prosecute such offences.

This was stated by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Shri Ajay Maken in written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

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