KOCHI: The probe into the seizure of counterfeit notes at Perumbavoor revealed that the accused is a Bangladeshi national. The police had arrested Salim Mandal, a native of Alaipur, Bangladesh, from Perumbavoor with 17 fake notes of Rs 500 denomination after he was tracked down in a mobile phone theft case reported in Alappuzha.
According to Ernakulam Rural Police Chief Vaibhav Saxena, the accused has been residing in India for the past 18 years. During the interrogation conducted at the district police headquarters, the accused admitted to various offences.
“Salim had illegally obtained an Indian passport and Aadhaar card from West Bengal. His passport was stamped with a Bangladeshi visa, which he primarily used for travelling between India and Bangladesh. This was his method of proving his Indian identity,” Vaibhav said.
The investigation revealed that he stole laptops and mobile phones in India and sold them in Bangladesh. He also tampered with the IMEI numbers to prevent the tracking of mobile phone locations. A single mobile phone fetched up to Rs 40,000, and counterfeit currency was used for transactions. Similarly, he procured fake currencies from Bangladesh and also supplied paper and ink to counterfeit currency makers in Bangladesh.
“There is strong evidence suggesting that he had distributed a large number of fake currency notes across India. It was also found that stolen mobile phones were smuggled in bulk to Bangladesh, while counterfeit currency printed in Bangladesh was brought into India. He travelled to Bangladesh to sell mobile phones, laptops and other electronic devices,” a police officer said.
Salim was reportedly assisting migrant workers in securing bail after their arrests in various criminal cases in Perumbavoor. Salim was also arrested in a rape case in Perumbavoor before. His mother Rojina, who was illegally residing with him, has also been arrested. Authorities are keeping a close watch on individuals who may have assisted the accused in his illegal activities. The central agencies have also collected information from the police regarding the operations of Salim.
Salim stole laptops, phones
The investigation revealed that he stole laptops and mobile phones in India and sold them in Bangladesh. He also tampered with the IMEI numbers to prevent the tracking of mobile locations. Counterfeit currency was used for transactions. Similarly, he procured fake currencies from Bangladesh