Fake Rs2,000 notes worth Rs7.36 lakh seized near Mumbai; two arrested

The DRI also recovered a single Rs500 fake note from the two men.

Two men were arrested with fake Indian notes in Rs 2,000 with a face value of Rs 7.36 lakh in Navi Mumbai on Saturday night. This is the second such seizure in the past two weeks.

The seized notes. (HT Photo)

The Directorate of Revenue intelligence suspects that both the cases were linked as the notes had the same series.

It also recovered a single Rs500 fake note from the two men. The recovery has raised concerns that unscrupulous elements may have replicated it. “It appears that notes of the same series have been smuggled into the country from Bangladesh,” said an officer.

Azharudddin Shaikh and Sabir Subhan were arrested from Mafco market near Sanpada railway station.

Shaikh was carrying 206 notes of Rs 2,000 denomination with a face value of Rs 4.08 lakh, while Subhan was found with 164 notes of Rs 2,000 denomination with a face value of Rs 3.28 lakh. The solitary Rs500 note was also found with him. “They got the fake currency from a man from Kolkata. They were to get a 30 % commission,” said an officer.

Suban was working for a handler from Bengaluru, who had links in fake currency cases before demonetisation. In 2013 too, he was arrested in Bengaluru. Sabir told the DRI that his handler had good contacts in West Bengal.