With the arrest of a key supplier of fake currency, Mabia Khatoon, 35, and her associate, Munish Ahmed, 54, a team of Special Cell of the Delhi Police, succeeded in busting an international syndicate involved in circulation of fake Indian currency notes (FICNs) in India from across the border.
During the arrest, the police team recovered fine quality FICNs amounting to Rs 1,97,500 of the denomination of Rs 500 from the accused. The recovered FICNs were routed to India through the Indo-Bangladesh border.
The arrested accused disclosed that they have supplied FICNs amounting to more than Rs 40 lakh in Delhi in the last two Years.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell), Pramod Singh Kushwah said that a team of Special Cell led by Inspector Karamvir Singh and Inspector Jitender under the supervision of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Attar Singh had conducted the entire operation.
Both the accused were arrested red-handed on specific information in the morning of December 7, from Anand Vihar Railway Station in Delhi when Mabia Khatoon had handed over a packet of FICNs to her associate Munish Ahmed.
According to the police official, on December 7, the information was received regarding the indulgence of two members of the cartel in the circulation of FICNs in India from Indo-Bangladesh border through Malda, West Bengal.
As per the information, the accused, Munish Ahmed, was to receive a consignment of FICNs from his associate beneath the railway over bridge near Anand Vihar Railway Station, Delhi. Accordingly, a team laid a trap around the railway over bridge near Anand Vihar Railway Station and arrested both the accused red handed with a packet having FICNs.
It is said that the recovered FICNs are of such a fine quality that it is difficult to distinguish them from the original one with a naked eye.
During interrogation, Munish Ahmed disclosed that he has been supplying FICNs in Delhi-NCR and UP for the last five years and apart from accused Mabia, he used to receive FICNs from different sources in Malda.
Large-scale seizures of high quality FICN and arrest of suppliers involved in cross-border smuggling and further supply of these notes in the country indicate continued attempts by foreign entities to push in FICN across the Indo-Bangladesh and Indo-Nepal borders. Police are keeping an eye on such nexus.