Fake currency racket busted in Delhi, five arrested

Police said they also recovered fake currency notes of ₹500 denomination with a face value of ₹19.74 lakh

New DelhiThe crime branch of Delhi Police on Friday said they busted an interstate racket involved in printing and circulating fake Indian currency notes (FICN), adding that they arrested five people in connection with the case.

The crime branch of Delhi Police on Friday said they busted an interstate racket involved in printing and circulating fake Indian currency notes (FICN). (HT Photo)

Police said they also recovered fake currencies of ₹500 denomination worth around ₹19.74 lakh. The arrests were made from Delhi and Rajasthan’s Alwar, where the suspects had set up units to print the fake notes.

Police identified the arrested men as Sakoor Mohammad, 25, Lokesh Yadav, 28, Himanshu Jain, 47, Shiv Lal, 30, and Sanjay Godara, 22.

Special commissioner of police (crime) Ravindra Singh Yadav said that the crime branch’s eastern range-I recently received inputs that two men, Mohammad and Yadav, were involved in the circulation of FICN and would come near Akshardham Temple in east Delhi to deliver a consignment of fake notes. Police then laid a trap near the temple earlier this week.

“Mohammad and Yadav were caught and ₹6 lakh in ₹500 denomination was seized. The two disclosed that they received the consignment from their associates Jain, Lal and Godara,” added the special CP.

Subsequent raids were then conducted at Ajmer and police found that the suspects had set up a system to print fake notes at a rented house. The team then arrested Jain, Lal, and Godara, and seized ₹13.74 lakh in ₹500 denomination, police added.

The crime branch also seized laptops, printers and lamination machines, and printed notes valued over ₹8 lakh on uncut sheets, officers added.

Police said the suspects were inspired by a recently released web series.

“Trafficking and circulation of high-quality FICN in Delhi and adjoining states poses a serious threat to the national security and financial stability of the country. Surveillance was mounted upon the activities of the suspected members of a syndicate involved in counterfeit currency, after which the gang was busted,” said Yadav.

He added that Mohammad was the mastermind of the racket and that all suspects were from Rajasthan. “They initially printed and circulated fake notes in Rajasthan and then decided to spread their network to Delhi and other adjoining states. Two cars used to transport the fake notes were also seized,” added Yadav.