International counterfeit currency racket busted

The Special Cell of Delhi Police busted an international syndicate and arrested four people involved in the circulation of fake Indian currency notes (FICNs) in different parts of the country, including Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). The police recovered fake currency worth Rs 8.48 lakh from their possession, mostly of Rs 2,000 denomination.

Those arrested have been identified as Farooq ( 27), Shariful Islam (21), Asif Raj (27) and Mukhtiar Ahmed (28). Two of the accused belong to Malda in West Ben- gal, one from Bihar and one from Nepal.

According to DCP (Special Cell) Pramod Khushwaha, information was received by the cell that some people were attempting to circulate some FICNs in the capital. A team lead by Inspector Ishwar Singh was formed and informers deployed to gather intelligence about this gang and its movement.

After more than four months of surveillance and intelligence gathering, the police learned that the gang was smuggling FICNs through the Indo-Nepal border and Malda district at the Indo-Bangladesh border and then distributing it to differ- ent parts of the country for circulation.

Definite information was received on 21 November that Farooq, who belongs to Malda and was a key member of the syndicate, would be arriving at Siri Fort bus stand around 6 pm to receive a consignment of FICNs from his contact Shariful.

Acting on the tip-off, the police team laid a trap at the designated place and nabbed them when the duo arrived there. On being frisked, the police recovered 300 FICNs of Rs 2,000 denomination amounting to Rs 6 lakh from their possession. The duo was arrested and an FIR was lodged at the Special Cell police station booking them under various Sections of IPC.

During interrogation, Shariful disclosed that he used to supply FICNs to his contact Asif Raj in Delhi. Asif Raj was nabbed the next day and 24 FINCs of Rs 2,000 denomination amounting to Rs 48,000 were recovered from his possession.

The accused further revealed that he got his supplwy from a person from Malda and one Mukhtiar Ahmed from Nepal. Mukhtiar was arrested on 28 November from Anand Vihar railway station and FICNs worth Rs 2 lakh recovered from him.

During the investigation, it came up that Farooq and Shariful were partners and have been in this business for the past eight years. They used to visit Bangladesh border for procuring FICNs from their contacts in the neighbouring country. Mukhtiar disclosed that he used to get his supply from two people from Beerganj in Nepal and handover the consignments to Shariful and Asif at Raxual in Bihar near Indo-Nepal border.

They further revealed that after demonetisation, they circulated FICNs worth more than 60 lakh in different parts of India, including Bihar, Haryana, Delhi and NCR. Asif, it was discovered, has been arrested thrice in various cases of FICN in Haryana, Bihar and Delhi.

He was first arrested by the Bihar police in 2015 and FICNs of Rs 50,000 were recovered from him. He was arrested for the second time by the Gurgaon police in 2015 and again in December 2017 by the Special Cell and FICNs amounting to Rs 3,00,000 were recovered from him.

The FICNs recovered from their possession are of a very high quality so much so that at first sight, it is difficult to distinguish the fake notes from the original ones as they even have incorporated the security features in them like water marks. Further investigations in the case are in progress.