Kamruzzman Bablu :The counterfeit currency racketeers in the capital have become active ahead of Eid-ul-Fitar. They are cashing in on the large-scale cash transactions across the country. Sources said, at least 100 fake currency traders belonging to 30 gangs are working in the capital city. The circulating gangs have already started releasing fake notes and spreading those to major cities across the country through their recruited agents.According to a law enforcing agencies more than 30 gangs, each consisting 10-12 members, are engaged in the crime currently, among which, 15 are based in Dhaka alone.Each of the gangs has plans to spread fake notes around Tk 4-5 crore in the market during this Eid shopping season, sources said referring to the confessions made by the arrested racketeers. Most of them, now freed on bail, have become involved again in the illegal trade.SA Quader Kiron, President of The Bangladesh Shop Owners’ Association told The New Nation on Monday that “Bangladesh Bank and law enforcers had talks with us in regards to installation of fake note detection device in shopping malls. But they are not installing it by themselves.”He also said, monetary transactions have already gone up and retail shopkeepers have now to install the detection devices with their own initiatives.However, criminals often choose festival periods for circulating fake notes, as shopping centres and markets see huge rush and the busy people often fail to check the notes for authenticity.Ahead of Eid-ul Fitar festivals, the racketeers are circulating fake notes in different markets through their agents, while a section of unscrupulous bank officials, criminals and even some corrupt public representatives are allegedly involved in the act, police said.According to Dhaka Metropolitan Police, in Dhaka only some 70 members of fake note gangs were arrested in last one year. Of them, 20 were repeatedly released on bail and got reconnected with the crime. Law enforcers’ data also showed that over 5,000 cases related with fake notes are now pending in courts.Officials said, the fake note making people can easily make transactions with the forged notes due to lack of detection machines and mass awareness.According to Bangladesh Shop Owners’ Association, a shop owners’ platform, the volume of shopping is Tk 3,000 crore a day in usual time across the country, but during festive seasons like Eid-ul-fitr, it reaches up to Tk 7,500 to Tk 8,000 crore.Earlier, Inspector General of Police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Hoque said that the directives were already given to the law enforcers to combat the crime like fake money trade. He said “We have also held talks with the shop owners and asked them to install fake note detection devices.”
