ATS arrests woman mastermind of fake currency racket

LUCKNOW : The Uttar Pradesh Anti Terrorism Squad arrested a woman, who was the mastermind of an international fake currency racket, from West Bengal on Sunday after a hunt of around 12 months, officials said.

She was carrying a reward of Rs 50,000 on her arrest.

The accused Mumtaz Bano was in hiding in Bali Banga area under Kaliachak police station of West Bengal. Her name cropped up as the mastermind of the racket following the arrest of two other accused, Tahsin Khan and Mohammad Wasim, by the ATS in September last year.

According to a press statement issued by the ATS, the duo informed that Mumtaz Bano, a resident of Madhya Pradesh, ran the fake currency racket in several states of the country. “The fake currency notes were smuggled into India from Bangladesh and routed to Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana on the directions of Mumtaz Bano. She ran the entire operation with help of operatives spread across theses states,” read the press release.

Reportedly, Bano took over the operations from her husband Sadar Ali who was arrested by the ATS a few years ago, also in connection with the fake currency racket. Sadar Ali is currently lodged in Lucknow jail. After the arrests made by ATS last year, Bano (who till then ran her racket from Madhya Pradesh), shifted her base to West Bengal. There she changed her name and took over a false identity.

ATS officials got a tip-off from local intelligence that she was currently living with her son Kabir under a false name and operating from West Bengal. Acting on this intelligence input, the ATS team managed to arrest Bano. She was presented in a local court in Malda by the ATS, seeking transit remand.