3 arrested for circulating fake currency

The police have arrested three persons for allegedly circulating fake currency in the city.

The police have arrested three persons for allegedly circulating fake currency in the city. Police recovered 25 fake currency notes of Rs 1,000 denomination from their possession and said a search was on for their accomplices.

Sources said the fake notes were of very good quality and are suspected to have been smuggled in India from Bangladesh. Twelve people have been arrested from Pune since March 2010 in connection with fake currency racket.

On Sunday,police arrested Manirul Maulavi Mustaffa (24),Ansar Bashir Hussain (30),Kamaluddin Arsadali (30),all from West Bengal,from Shiralsheth Chowk in Rasta Peth. They were produced before the court on Monday. Judicial Magistrate (first class) V L Bhagwat remanded them in police custody till August 7.

Police said it is suspected the trio have links with fake currency racketeers operating from Bangladesh. They have circulated fake currency in Balaji Nagar,Dhankwadi,Rasta Peth and other areas. Investigation is on to know how and from whom they got the fake notes to Pune.

Police said the modus operandi was to purchase goods worth a few rupees and give a fake currency note of Rs 1,000 or Rs 5,000 to the shopkeeper and take the change back in original.

February,2011: Sukhram Borana of Nana Peth was arrested by Faraskhana police for circulating fake notes of Rs 100 denomination. He was printing the fake notes at his residence.

January,2011: The CBI arrested three persons – Suman Das (30),her husband Raju (35),both from West Bengal and an accomplice Arvind alias Mithusingh Karnavat (25) of Rajasthan – while circulating fake currency in shops at Laxmi Road. Police seized 176 fake notes of Rs 500 denomination from them. Investigations revealed that an unidentified person linked to the fake currency ring used to give them counterfeit notes near a church at Antop Hill in Mumbai.

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Later,the CBI arrested another West Bengal citizen from Pashan with four fake notes of Rs 1,000 denomination.

October,2010: Nigdi police arrested four persons. The suspects told police that they hail from Malad in West Bengal. But investigations revealed two were Bangladeshi nationals illegaly staying in Pune. Police seized 54 fake notes of Rs 1,000 denomination and cash of Rs 1.35 lakh from the suspects. A police team went to West Bengal for probing Bangladeshi links,but returned without any clues.

March,2010: Three Iranian nationals were arrested in Wanavadi with fake currency amounting to Rs 44,000. The suspects told police they got fake Indian notes from foreign currency exchange in Iran.

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