Kochi, May 3 (PTI) A special NIA court in Ernakulam has sentenced a man to six years of rigorous imprisonment for smuggling Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN), officials said on Monday.

Ali Hossain (30) of West Bengal's Murshidabad district was convicted under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, they said.

The court sentenced the man to six years rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 85,000 on him for his role in procuring, possessing and circulating FICN in Kerala.

The case was registered in Thrissur City, Kerala in August, 2018 against Hossain following the seizure of two counterfeit Indian currency notes (FICN) of Rs 2,000 denomination from his possession, officials said.

Subsequently, based on his interrogation, 101 numbers of FICN of Rs 2,000 face value each were recovered from his residence in Palakkad district, they said.

The NIA took over the investigation in October 2018.

In 2018, Hossain conspired with Alim Sheik, a Bangladeshi national who is absconding, to smuggle FICN into Kerala with an intention to use the same as genuine Indian currency for unlawful gain, they said.

In August 2018, Hossain knowingly tried to use the counterfeit currency notes of Rs 2,000 denomination as genuine tender in shops at Thrissur where they were detected and he was arrested, officials said.

Further investigation in the case against absconding accused Sheik continues, they said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)