At the first sight, it is difficult to distinguish the recovered fake currency notes with the original ones as they even have security features like water marks.

An international syndicate, indulging in the circulation of Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) in various parts of India, including Delhi and NCR, was busted in Delhi. The special cell team also recovered FICN worth Rs 8.48 lakh in denomination of Rs 2,000-currency notes.

The arrested persons have been identified as Farooq, Shariful Islam, Asif Raj and Mukhtiar Ahmed.

The information was received by the special cell regarding attempts of circulation of FICN by the members of an international syndicate which was bringing counterfeit notes to the national capital and surrounding areas via Nepal and Bangladesh. Secret sources were deployed with specific task to nab the accused.

Surveillance was mounted on the movements of members of this syndicate and requisite intelligence was collected. The efforts of more than four months by the team revealed that FICN is being pumped into India from Nepal and Bangladesh through Indo-Bangla border Malda District, West Bengal. It was also revealed that FICN was being pumped by these racketeers in various parts of the country including Delhi-NCR through this route.

On November 21, specific information was received that one Farooq at Lambu of West Bengal's Malda district, who is a key member of the syndicate, would reach Delhi at Siri Fort Road Bus Stand at 6 pm to receive a big consignment of FICN from his contact. Having received the above information, police team swung into action and a trap was laid near the said bus stop. At around 6.30 pm, two persons were nabbed with 300 Fake Indian Currency Notes in the denomination of Rs 2000, amounting to Rs 6 lakh.

Four lakhs of FICNs were recovered from accused Farooq and FICN of Rs 2 lakh were recovered from his contact, Shariful Islam. A case has been registered under appropriate sections of law at PS Special Cell.



During investigation, Shariful disclosed that he used to supply FICNs to another contact namely Asif Raj in Delhi. Asif Raj was nabbed on November 22 on the instance of Shariful and 24 FICN of Rs 2,000 denomination amounting to Rs 48,000 were recovered from his possession.

Asif Raj, in police custody, then disclosed that he gets supply from a person of Malda in West Bengal and Mukhtiar Ahmed of Nepal. Mukhtiar Ahmed was arrested on November 28 from the Anand Vihar Railway Station. FICNs of Rs 2 lakh were recovered from Mukhtiar Ahmed.

From the intensive interrogation of the accused persons, it has been revealed that accused Farooq and Shariful are partners in this syndicate. They have been indulging in FICN circulation for past 8 years. Shariful disclosed that he collected the FICN of Rs 6 lakh from his contact in District Malda and came to Delhi to deliver the same to Farooq Lambu at Siri Fort Road and also to one Asif Raj.

Earlier, Farooq and Shariful used to visit Bangladesh Border for procuring FICNs from their Bangladeshi counterparts. Mukhtiar Ahmed used to handover the consignments of FICN to Shariful and Asif in Raxual, near Indo-Nepal border. Mukhtiar Ahmed gets supply of FICN from two persons of Beerganj (Nepal).

All four arrested have further disclosed that after demonetisation, they have circulated more than 60-70 lakh of FICNs in different parts of India including Bihar, Haryana, Delhi-NCR, etc. Asif has been found arrested thrice in various cases of FICN in Haryana, Bihar and Delhi. Firstly, he was arrested by the Bihar police in 2015 and FICN of Rs 50,000 were recovered from him. Second time, he was arrested by the Gurgaon Police in 2015. On December 14, 2017, he was arrested by the Special Cell, Delhi and FICNs amounting to Rs 3,00,000 were recovered in this particular case.

At the first sight, it is difficult to distinguish the recovered fake currency notes with the original ones as they even have security features like water marks.

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