3 arrested with fake currency worth 2 lakh

The customs preventive officials recently arrested three people smuggling fake Indian currency worth almost rupees two lakhs at Indira Gandhi International Airport, reports Atul Mathur.

The customs preventive officials recently arrested three people smuggling fake Indian currency worth almost rupees two lakhs at Indira Gandhi International Airport. The counterfeit currency notes, all in denomination of rupees five hundred, were being brought from Bangkok.

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According to senior customs officials, Vimal Kalra and Baljeet Singh, both holding Indian passports, and Neena Sachathep, holding a Thai passport, all in the age group of 40-45 years, arrived New Delhi airport in a Thai Airways flight TG 315 on the evening of July 17.

“Since they were carrying commercial goods on which the customs duty had to be paid they went to report to the Red Channel Counter of customs. From the Red Channel Counter they were sent to the examination counter for thorough checking. The three got panicky and tried to dispose of an envelope containing fake currency notes. This is when we apprehended them,” said M.K.Gupta, Commissioner of Customs, IGI Airport.

The envelope contained 398 currency notes of Rs 500 amounting to Rs 1.99 lakh, the customs official said.

According to officials, the three had received the currency from a Pakisatni national in Bangkok. While this was the first time for Kalra, officials said both Singh and Sachathep have previous crime record also.