LeT involved in fake currency menace: Min

New Delhi, Dec 8 : Terrorist outfits, including, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), are involved in the increasing circulation of Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICNs), said Ajay Maken, Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs, in Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

'Available inputs indicate that high quality FICNs are printed in a neighboring country and pushed into India through neighboring countries. Such inputs also indicate that, inter alia, activists of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a terrorist outfit, organized criminal networks and syndicates are reportedly involved in infusion and circulation of FICN in the country,' Maken said.

To address the multi-dimensional aspects of the FICN menace, several agencies such as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the 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 Minister said.

'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, besides other administrative measures.'

Further the offences under IPC relating to counterfeit currency have been includes in the Schedule to the National Investigation Agency Act, thereby empowering the National Investigation Agency to investigate and prosecute such offences. The issue has also been taken up consistently with the neighbouring countries in the bilateral fora, said the Minister.