Habiganj, Oct 8 (V7N) — Police in Habiganj have arrested two young women with counterfeit banknotes worth Tk 4.5 lakh during a special operation conducted by the district’s Detective Branch (DB) in Madhabpur upazila. The arrests took place on Tuesday night in the Noapara Bazar area.
 
The detainees were identified as Rozina Akter Roja, 22, daughter of Nazrul Islam from Sultanpur village, and Hamida Khatun, 16, daughter of Nur Hossain, a tenant living in Noapara. Law enforcement officials recovered counterfeit notes in Tk 1,000, Tk 500, and Tk 200 denominations from their possession.
 
According to AKM Shamim Hasan, Officer-in-Charge of the Habiganj DB police, Rozina and her mother had long been involved in circulating fake currency in local markets. “They used counterfeit notes to buy goods from shopkeepers, particularly in Noapara Bazar,” he said.
 
On Tuesday night, the two young women allegedly purchased three kilograms of hog plums (amra) from a vegetable vendor using a fake Tk 1,000 note. They then attempted to repeat the same fraud with other traders. When several shopkeepers became suspicious, the matter was exposed, and locals informed the police.
 
DB officers immediately conducted a raid and arrested the two women from the scene. However, Rozina’s mother managed to flee.
 
OC Shamim Hasan confirmed that a case has been filed under the relevant laws concerning counterfeit currency and fraud. “Efforts are underway to apprehend other members of the counterfeit money syndicate,” he added.
 
Local traders expressed relief following the arrests, saying that the women had been cheating people in the area for a long time under the guise of ordinary customers. Police are now expanding their investigation to trace the source of the fake notes and uncover the full extent of the criminal network.
 
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