Fake currency brought from Pak

[Sir john]

Iqbal, a wanted Indian criminal presently living in Pakistan, who under the umbrella of the ISI is helping its agents settle in India by providing them enormous amount of fake currency, according to sources. Two persons arrested in connection with the seizure of counterfeit notes in custudy of the Delhi police in New Delhi on Friday. Two persons arrested in connection with the seizure of counterfeit notes in custudy of the Delhi police in New Delhi on Friday. Tribune photo: Manas Ranjan Bhui In another revelation, he is an ISI agent who is regularly used by the agency to conduct its operations in India. Following Iqbal's trail, the Delhi police seized a huge haul of counterfeit Indian currency notes yesterday. Today it stated that the cash which was placed inside cardboard-wrapped bales of clothes had labels of Pakistani companies stuck on them. This is a clear indication that the money had indeed arrived from Pakistan. The police said that the fake currency was meant to destabilise the Indian economy. The sources added that a portion of the counterfeit notes was to be given to ISI agents in India who would exchange it for original ones. The special cell of the Delhi police has been conducting an operation for the past few days and has busted a racket of fake Indian currency of Rs 2.245 crore. Earlier, for the past two months, the police received intelligence inputs about Iqbal, alias Kana. He is a resident of Uttar Pradesh and is wanted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Delhi police and the police of other states. Iqbal is presently hiding in Pakistan for the past few years. He is notorious for smuggling fake Indian currency notes and arms and ammunition in India with the help of his associates. Deeper investigations revealed that he was pumping a large amount of fake currency to destabilise the Indian economy. The special cell soon put this matter under surveillance. In the first week of January it gathered intelligence about Iqbal who was planning to smuggle a huge consignment of the fake currency, running into crores, to India from across the border. The police was accordingly sent to Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and adjoining states that are located near India's borders with other countries. While prowling around these states, the police was informed about Ash Mohammad, a key associate of Iqbal. He is also a resident of Uttar Pradesh. Later, intelligence agencies revealed to the police that Hassan had gone to Pakistan to meet Iqbal to procure the consignment of fake Indian currency. The former is a resident of Dabri, Delhi. The police suspected a possible hideout in Dabri and thereafter did a reconnaissance of the area on January 12. While searching for clues, it noticed a tempo overloaded with plastic bags during the afternoon. It halted in front of Zeeshan Khan's house, who is Hassan's son. One person got out of the tempo and was immediately apprehended by the police. He was identified as Zeeshan. The police suspected the goods present inside the tempo. When it opened the bags it found 19 bundles containing bales of women's fabrics. The bales were wrapped around card-board sheets that had labels of Pakistani companies stuck on them. Upon opening these sheets, the police noticed a cavity where the fake Indian currency notes in denominations of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 were placed. There were 9,900 fake notes of Rs 500 and 6,900 notes of Rs 1,000. They totaled an amount of Rs 1,18,50,000. The sheets were heat pressed to avoid detection of the fake currency. When the police questioned Zeeshan and the tempo driver, Mahesh, it learnt that another consignment was being transported by Ash. A police team was sent to Karol Bagh to trace the tempo carrying the fake currency. After finding the tempo, the police seized 14 bundles of women's fabrics where the fake currency was similarly placed between the bales of clothes. Ash was arrested with the tempo driver. The fake currency was worth Rs 1,06,00,000. The police has presently made a seizure of fake Indian currency of Rs 2,24,50,000. The notes were of fine quality and had certain features inserted on it, which made them appear genuine. The police, thereafter, interrogated the arrested persons, who revealed that the fake currency was brought to India after Pakistan-based Iqbal hatched a conspiracy. His associates, including Hassan, Ash and Zeeshan, had assisted him in the planning.