NIA arrests key accused in Kasaragod fake currency cases from Mumbai airport | Mumbai News
More than 12 years after he went underground, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday arrested a key accused in the 2013 Kasaragod fake currency cases from the Mumbai airport, following his extradition from the United Arab Emirates.
The accused, Moideenabha Ummer Beary alias Moideen, had been in the custody of UAE authorities since 2015 and was handed over to Indian officials after the completion of a simplified extradition process. He was wanted in connection with four cases registered by the NIA in 2013 following the seizure of fake Indian currency notes (FICN) in Kerala’s Kasaragod district.
Moideen, a native of Udupi district in Karnataka, was taken into NIA custody upon his arrival from Dubai and immediately flown to Kochi, where he was produced before a special NIA court in Ernakulam.
NIA officials said Moideen had conspired with other accused to procure counterfeit currency worth Rs 31 lakh from the UAE. The fake notes were trafficked into India by an associate, Usman, through the Bengaluru airport and subsequently circulated in and around Kasaragod.
Following the recovery of the FICN in 2013, NIA moved to revoke Moideen’s Indian passport and obtained an Interpol Red Notice against him. He was tracked down and arrested in the UAE two years later. His extradition marks a significant step in the crackdown on cross-border fake currency operations, officials said.
The NIA has already chargesheeted six people, including Moideen, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code in the case.
