Pune: Fake Indian, US Dollars worth Rs 47.6 crores seized, six persons including Army Jawan arrested

Mubarak Ansari

Pune, June 11, 2020: Army’s Southern Command intelligence wing (Military Intelligence) along with Crime Branch of Pune City Police carried out a successful joint operation in Sanjay Park locality near Viman Nagar and busted a fake currency racket yesterday. Six people including five civilians and a soldier were apprehended with fake Indian and foreign currency to the tune of approximately Rs 47.6 crore. The seized fake Indian currency notes (FICN) are in the denomination of Rs 2,000, Rs 1,000 and Rs 500. Two lakh Indian rupees, US dollars equivalent, one fake pistol was recovered during the operation.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Bachchan Singh told Punekarnews.in, “After counting, Indian currency of various denominations worth Rs 43.4 Crores and USD worth Rs 4.2 Crores is seized. The quality of the notes will be checked in due course by experts. Many of the notes are marked ‘Children Bank of India’. Prima facie their modus operandi seems to be cheating people using fake currencies. Further investigation is going on regarding source of currency etc.”

The arrested accused have been identified Naik Shaikh Alim Gulab Khan (36) who is posted with Army’s Bombay Sappers establishment in Khadki, and civilians Sunil Badrinarayan Sarda (40), Ritesh Ratnakar, Tufail Ahmed Mohd Ishaq Khan (28), Abdul Gani Rehmtullah Khan (43) and Abdul Rehman Abdul Gani Khan (18).

Based on a complaint from Police Sub-inspector Nilesh Kumar Mahadik FIR has been registered against accused persons at Vimantal police station under relevant sections of the law. The investigation will be done by Police Inspector Anjum Bagwan of Crime Branch unit 4.

According to police, the Southern Command Liaison Unit (SCLU) of the Military Intelligence had received information about the fake currency note racket. The intelligence was passed to the Crime Branch. A joint team of sleuths from the Crime Branch and MI swooped down on a flat in Sanjay Park area around 4 pm on June 10, Wednesday. The notes were piled up in the room and the counting went on till late at night. Boxes filled with new fake notes of Rs 2,000, Rs 1000 (which was demonetized in 2016) and Rs 500 were found in the house. An investigation is underway as to who was to be given the currency and where the counterfeit currency was printed.