Police strongly suspect that counterfeit notes worth Rs. 36 lakh seized from an inter-State gang were printed in Pakistan. The notes were later smuggled into India through Bangladesh as part of the gangÂ’s strategy to destabilise IndiaÂ’s economy. The fake currency is in Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 denominations.
City Police Commissioner B. Prasada Rao, announcing the arrest of gang members here on Friday, said efforts were on to trace the links that enabled them to smuggle counterfeit currency into Andhra Pradesh. Asked about the role of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence behind the racket, he said: “It’s premature to confirm it.”
He, however, explained that the fake currency was in circulation on a large scale through different channels. The seized currency was almost similar to the genuine currency, he said.
The arrested persons are Mohammed Shoukat Ali, Arun Kumar Saha and his brother Naba Kumar Saha, all from Malda district in West Bengal, K. Venkata Satyanarayana Reddy and V. Kameswara Rao, both from East Godavari district.
Across Bengal border
Explaining the modus operandi in detail, the Commissioner said Ali was working as an agent with Arun and Naba. Arun was procuring counterfeit currency from Nutfal Shaik of Baikul village in Bangladesh. Nutfal used to deliver fake currency bundles from a secluded place which is 15 km away from across the border in West Bengal. Then Arun and Naba collected the bundles and handed them over to Ali, who would later give them to Rao and Reddy for circulating in Andhra Pradesh. The duo was supplying currency to the agents in Hyderabad and other places. The racket was in operation for the last one year or so. |