Kolkata, Oct 20 (IANS): The NIA, which is probing the recovery of fake Indian currency notes (FICN) in West Bengal, said on Monday it has arrested the kingpin from Jharkhand's Dhanbad.

"A NIA team arrested Uttam Kumar Sinha, the kingpin of a network involved in smuggling high quality FICN in India. Sinha was arrested in Dhanbad on Sunday late evening. A total of five mobile phones and 13 SIMs was recovered from him," said the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Taking over the investigation of a case relating to recovery of FICN of face value of Rs.10 lakhs from Murshidabad, NIA had been on the hunt for Sinha for two months after investigation revealed him to be the kingpin of the racket.

"Led by Sinha, the gang was instrumental in despatching FICNs to the tune of more than Rs. 4 crore (face value) to different parts of the county in the last few years.

"The modus operandi involves despatching FICNs by couriers in the guise of labourers/masons to different parts of the country and in turn the payment is received through cash deposits from different states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and other parts of the country, into the bank accounts maintained by him," said the agency.

The NIA along with Jharkhand ATS conducted raids in different parts of the state to identify and arrest other co-accused in the case.

According to NIA, Sinha used to procure high quality FICN through his contacts in Bangladesh.

Wanted also by the Central Bureau of Investigation in a FICN smuggling case, Sinha had been absconding and evading arrest since 2012.

The agency got the transit remand of Sinha and will be presenting him before a Kolkata court for further custody.