International Fake Currency Racket Busted

From India,

International fake currency racket busted

Express news service

Posted online: Friday , April 04, 2008 at 11:04:22

Updated: Friday , April 04, 2008 at 11:04:22

Lucknow, April 3 With arrest of four persons on Thursday, Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force claims to have busted an international gang involved in supplying fake Indian currency from Bangkok to India.

The arrested persons are Manjit Singh alias Monty, a resident of Patel Marg, Ghazibad, Vijay Pal Singh of Rajhera village, Simphavali police station, Ghaziabad, Manoj alias Monu of Hapud and Tek Bahadur Ghale of Nepal. The police seized passport of Nepali citizen Tek Bahadur, besides three Visa cards. The STF arrested the accused from Shahibabad police station area in Ghaziabad. They have seized counterfeit notes of Rs 500 denomination each with face value of about Rs 5.70 lakh from their possession.

Addressing a media conference, Additional Director General of Police (STF) Brij Lal said the Interpol team of CBI had been communicated about the international links of the gang. “We are working on two theories — either the fake notes were printed in Bangkok or the Thailand capital stocked those,” he said. Senior Superintendent of Police Amitabh Yash said the gang used to supply counterfeit notes first to Nepal and then they were transported to Delhi and its adjoining areas.

“The seized notes are of very good quality,” he said. The arrested persons disclosed that the racket was active in Malaysia, Indonesia and Bangladesh, he said. Besides, the gang also printed and supplied fake stamps and court documents in India.

Police investigation found that Monty had first come in contact with two Pakistan nationals Shahid and Bobby during his stay in Bangkok from 2004 to 2007. Monty was jailed in Bangkok over smuggling of drugs. After his release, the two Pakistan nationals sent him to India to expand the fake currency racket in the country. Monty supplied contraband drugs from India to Bangkok in lieu of the fake currency. He had pumped fake currency with a face value of about Rs 2 lakh in India, he added.

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/In...-busted/292202/

"“The seized notes are of very good quality,”