Currency rings busted, 6 arrested

NEW DELHI: Delhi Police’s Special Cell and Crime Branch have busted two international syndicates supplying fake Indian currency notes to different states with arrest of six persons and recovery of fake notes of the face value of Rs9.5 lakh.
The fake currency was smuggled from Pakistan in both cases but two different borders—Nepal and Bangladesh—were being used.Officials say the notes have been made with such precision that they carry almost all security features of Indian currency.
In the first operation, a Special Cell team caught Mohammad Habibuddin Momin, Kaiyum and Kamal from Indira Market in Malkaganj and seized fake currency in denominations of Rs500 and Rs1,000 of the face value of Rs5 lakh. “This syndicate has pumped in over Rs50 lakh of FICN in the Indian market,” Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) S N Shrivastava said.
The gang operates from Kaliachak in Malda, West Bengal, close to the Indo-Bangladeshi border. The kingpin, Male, is yet to be arrested. Kamal, a bad character in Delhi, was buying this fake currency from Male’s men and selling it to local dealers.
In the second operation, Crime Branch busted a gang smuggling fake currency from Nepal border with Bihar’s East Champaran being the main hub of supply. A crime branch team led by ACP K P S Malhotra nabbed three men, Shajaha, Mahesh Prasad and Mohammad Nisar, from Adarsh Nagar with fake currency of Rs4.5 lakh.
Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Ravindra Yadav said, “Preliminary investigations have revealed the mastermind is in East Champaran. He brings FICN from Nepal. This fake currency is smuggled to Nepal from Pakistan.”
Officials say printing of fake currency takes place at an old currency note press in Pakistan and its circulation is managed by underworld don Iqbal Kana. The smugglers, they say, have been making a lot of money. “The value of FICN of a Rs1,000 fake note starts from Rs200 in Pakistan and reaches Rs400 in Nepal or Bangladesh. On entering India, there is further addition of Rs100. In NCR, the value becomes Rs700,” said a senior officer. The profits are used to fund terrorism and narcotics trade, said sources.