Law enforcement agencies have warned that fake currency rackets are actively targeting sacrificial cattle markets ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, following the release of several counterfeiters on bail after last year’s political upheaval.

The Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have arrested members of six fake currency syndicates in recent raids across Dhaka, Tangail, Gazipur, Kishoreganj and Panchagarh between 15 May and 2 June.

Mohammad Nasirul Islam, acting chief of the DB at DMP, told the Daily Sun that special drives are being carried out to arrest note forgers, and fake note detectors have been installed at various cattle markets to identify counterfeit money.

He urged cattle sellers to verify all payments using the detectors provided at each market. “These criminals are primarily targeting cattle traders who handle large cash transactions,” he said.

RAB Director (Legal and Media) Wing Commander MZM Intekhab Chowdhury confirmed that the elite force is also running operations to curb the spread of fake notes.

On Monday night, a RAB-4 team arrested a man named Riaz Hossain in Kaliakoir, Gazipur, and recovered counterfeit notes worth Tk 10.06 lakh along with a printing machine.

According to RAB, Riaz had been producing fake currency at his home in Bhannara, Beltola, and distributing it through social media networks. He had planned to circulate the fake notes in the lead-up to Eid.

Meanwhile, a DB Wari Division team under the DMP arrested three more individuals—Mohammad Sagor, Al Amin Howlader and Babu Matubbar—from the Paltan area on Monday with counterfeit currency amounting to Tk1 lakh.

DMP Deputy Commissioner (Media and PR) Talebur Rahman said the trio and their associates were planning to distribute large volumes of fake currency at cattle markets ahead of the festival. All three are repeat offenders with multiple cases of counterfeiting filed against them in Dhaka and Patuakhali.

Authorities have urged both buyers and sellers to remain vigilant and report any suspicious transactions to law enforcement.