‘Not one case of seizure of fake currency notes along Punjab-Pak border in 2016’

In 2012, fake Indian currency notes worth a face value of Rs 46.21 lakh were seized by the BSF posted at the Punjab border. The figure rose to Rs 52.04 lakh in 2013. However, the next two years saw a sharp decline. In 2014, the BSF seized FICN with face value of Rs 11.8 lakh, and in 2015, it was Rs 11.5 lakh. In 2016, the FICN seizure at Punjab border by BSF was nil.

BSF Punjab Frontier chief Mukul Goyal said the smugglers preferred routes like Nepal and Bangladesh to push the fake currency into India. About the nil seizure in 2016 from Punjab frontier, he said it could be related to the overall average decrease in smuggling of counterfeit notes.

Punjab Inspector General of Police (Counter Intelligence) at Amritsar, M F Farooqui, who until a few years back served as BSF DIG Amritsar sector, said, “The smugglers did try to exploit some areas along the border, but eventually preferred Nepal route which looked more favourable to them.”

“As compared to value per consignment, the physical size of FICN is much bigger and they now prefer not to take risk from this border. Their focus is on smuggling high value goods like narcotics,” said Farooqui.