Fake currency racket busted

NARASAPURAM: A fake currency racket run by a native of West Bengal was busted by the police in West Godavari on Tuesday. Fake currency worth Rs 23 lakh was seized and 14 members of the gang, including the kingpin, were arrested.
Police said one Alangiri Shaik of Malda in West Bengal was the kingpin.
Inspector N Madhusudana Rao said Shaik was operating the gang and routing the fake money from Bangladesh."After the money finds its way to West Bengal, Shaik distributes it to his henchmen in various parts of the country through agents," he said.
Sources said fake money worth Rs 24 lakh had already been circulated. Police said they chanced upon the gang's operations after Rs 9 lakh fake currency was seized from one Akula Suresh in Rajahmundry. "We kept monitoring the circulation of the money in the market. When Rs 4 lakh fake money was recovered from Gollalamamidada area in East Godavari recently, we got further leads which led to cracking the case," a police official said.
Nine cellphones and a motorbike were also recovered from the gang members. "We have filed a case and are interrogating the gang members," the official said.