The last November-midnight stroke to wean-out fake Indian currency from circulation looks has somewhere lost its steam. The way seizure of near-original currency talks about the desperation of Pakistan to pump-in the fake to keep its terrorism machinery going on in Kashmir Valley and other parts of India shows the fool-proof system has some weak links. The recent seizure of near original currency of high denominations by Border Security Force in the eastern sector cements the fact that Pakistan is desperately attempting to replicate the new currency. BSF had seized fake Rs 2,000 notes that display a degree of sophistication that could pass initial scrutiny. The first such major consignment of 100 fake Indian currency notes of Rs 2,000 denomination was seized in West Bengal. Top intelligence officials said Pakistan had activated its fake currency smugglers in Bangladesh and Nepal and consignments of fake notes, mostly in Rs 2,000 and Rs 100 denomination, were being moved in. BSF and NIA stumbled on the conspiracy on Tuesday when they arrested a Malda-based fake Indian currency notes (FICN) smuggler with three fake Rs 2,000 notes. An officer said the notes had some replicated features like colour, texture, electrotype watermark, see-through feature, year of manufacturing, Swachh Bharat and Mangal Yaan logo. But the notes have not been able to match features like Gandhi watermark, security thread, 100% cotton paper and embossing by insertion of Intaglio images. According to the Home ministry, demonetisation has brought terror-funding to a halt and will take more than a year for Pakistan-based terror planners to make new notes. An estimated Rs 700-Rs 800 crore terror funding is done in India out of which Rs 300-Rs 400 crore are being used by Naxals annually, Rs 20-Rs 30 crore by Kashmiri separatists and Rs 350-Rs 400 crore by insurgents in the northeast. The Dubai-based operative of Pakistan origin have been in the business in the circulation of fake Indian currency for the past 10 years via Nepal as this route has been adopted after India increased the heat on the direct route between Pakistan and Nepal.
