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Fake currency printing racket busted at madrasa near Indo-Nepal border
Shravasti superintendent of police (SP) Ghanshyam Chaurasiya stated that the racket was being run from Madrasa Fazr-ul-Nabi near Malhipur mosque. During a raid, the police seized FICN worth ₹35,400, along with laptops, a colour printer, multiple ink bottles, and paper used in the printing process.
Shravasti police unearthed a fake Indian currency note (FICN) racket allegedly operating out of a madrasa near the porous India-Nepal border. The racket’s mastermind, Mubarak Ali alias Noorie, learned the techniques for printing fake currency through YouTube, the police said on Thursday. Five people, including the madrasa manager, were arrested for their involvement in the operation.
Shravasti superintendent of police (SP) Ghanshyam Chaurasiya stated that the racket was being run from Madrasa Fazr-ul-Nabi near Malhipur mosque. During a raid, the police seized FICN worth ₹35,400, along with laptops, a colour printer, multiple ink bottles, and paper used in the printing process.
The racket came to light after three individuals—Ram Sewak, Awadhesh Kumar Pandey, and Dharam Raj Shukla—were arrested near the Bhesari Canal bridge under Hardatt Nagar police station limits. “Based on their interrogation, the special operation group searched the madrasa and uncovered the fake currency operation,” SP Chaurasiya said.
Police recovered 26 fake notes of ₹500, 100 fake notes of ₹200, and 24 fake notes of ₹100 during the madrasa raid. Along with the madrasa manager, his assistant Zameel Ahmad and the three individuals arrested earlier were taken into custody.
The SP revealed that the manager, Ali, admitted to running the FICN racket for over a year and confessed to circulating fake currency worth several lakhs in the market.
Investigations also show that Ali has four prior criminal cases registered against him in Gonda, Bahraich, and Shravasti. The other accused also have criminal records, including cases in Shravasti and Bahraich districts.
Adding another layer to the operation, Mubarak Ali’s five wives, who live separately in different locations, are suspected of helping circulate the fake currency. Ali confessed that they primarily distributed FICN during evening hours, buying grocery items to minimise the risk of detection. The role of the manager’s wives is under investigation, with police yet to confirm whether they acted knowingly or unknowingly in the racket.
