Fake note gang busted, 4 arrested
New Delhi : Delhi Police has arrested four currency smugglers. An official said on Saturday that fake Indian notes worth Rs 18.5 lakh and Nepalese currency worth more than Rs 46 lakh were recovered from the accused.
The accused have been identified as Chhavi Ram (25), Asib alias Asif (37), Imran (26) and Dinesh Kumar Jha (25).
According to the police, on September 28, a policeman saw a man walking suspiciously with a bag inside the Anand Vihar bus terminal.
When his bag was checked, Rs 1,22,000 (466 notes of Rs 100 and 377 notes of Rs 200) were found in Fake Indian Notes (FICN). The person was identified as Chhavi Ram.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Amrita Guguloth said, “Since a huge quantity of fake currency was seized and its links were found to be linked to other states. Therefore, the case indicated the involvement of a significant syndicate engaged in smuggling of fake currency notes.”
During the investigation, call detail records of this syndicate were analyzed. From which it was revealed that a person named Dinesh works as the mastermind of this gang.
The DCP further said that he maintained constant contact with Nepal-based numbers and was found to be using five SIM cards in three mobile phones to coordinate with his gang members.
Following Chhavi Ram’s arrest, police caught two additional suppliers of Indian fake currency notes, Asib and Imran, in Badaun, Uttar Pradesh. Fake notes of Rs 45,000 and Rs 42,000 were recovered from their hiding places.
Meanwhile, mastermind Dinesh switched off his mobile phone. The DCP said that based on Chhavi Ram’s disclosure, it was clear that Dinesh had a large amount of fake notes. As a result, the investigation team raided Dinesh’s hideout in Muzaffarpur, Bihar. In an attempt to escape from the police, Dinesh kept changing his location again and again.
However, based on confidential information, the police team arrested Dinesh from his residence on October 4. When the police team searched his house, they found huge quantities of fake Indian notes, Nepali notes, a color printer/scanner and other materials used in the production of fake notes, which were seized.
During interrogation, Dinesh revealed that initially he purchased fake Indian currency by receiving 10 per cent commission from his associates in Nepal, and later smuggled it to North India through gang members.
The DCP further said that later he started making fake Indian and Nepal currency notes at his residence using high quality printer and paper. To facilitate the distribution of counterfeit notes, he formed a gang consisting of Chhavi Ram, Asib, Imran and Islam.
The DCP said, “Interrogating the local people also revealed that Dinesh had earlier links with Naxalites. A case was registered against him under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) at Sakra police station in Muzaffarpur. ” (IANS).
