Patna– In a significant development, a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Patna has handed down a seven-year rigorous imprisonment to Abi Mohammad, also known as Nabi Mohammad Ansari, a Nepali national. Ansari, hailing from Bara district in Nepal, was found to be a key participant in a high-profile fake currency case. He was taken into custody from East Champaran.
The verdict was announced under the provisions of Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), with corresponding sentences and fines specified under sections 489B and 489C of IPC, as well as sections 16, 18, and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. A fine of Rs 5,000 was imposed alongside the prison term, as stated by the NIA in an official statement.
This marks the second conviction in relation to the case that involves the confiscation of counterfeit Indian currency notes valued at Rs 25.43 lakh. These fake notes, bearing a denomination of Rs 500, were seized on September 30, 2015. The initial conviction was handed down to Mohammad Ali Akhtar Ansari, who was apprehended while attempting to receive the counterfeit currency from Gati Kintetsu Express Private Limited in Raxaul. He was sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50,000 on July 18, 2022.
According to the report, during the course of investigations, Mohammad Ali Akhtar Ansari disclosed that the forged currency had been imported into India from a foreign nation. He further revealed that the consignment had been designated for delivery to Nabi Mohammad of Nepal through him.
The investigation unraveled a complex network of counterfeit currency traffickers, stretching across international borders. Syed Muhammad Shaffi, a Pakistani national residing in the UAE, was identified as the individual who had dispatched the parcel containing the counterfeit currency from the UAE through the International Courier Service (ICS). The convoluted chain of transactions highlighted the intricate web of FICN (Fake Indian Currency Notes) traffickers.
The case initially came to the fore on September 24, 2015, when it was registered by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in Muzaffarpur, Bihar. Subsequently, on March 15, 2016, the case was re-registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Over time, separate charge sheets were filed against the two accused individuals – Mohammad Ali Akhtar Ansari and Abi Mohammad Ansari – on September 21, 2016, and October 14, 2017, respectively.