Counterfeit currency nexus unearthed, 5 held

The Trans Yamuna Range of the Special Cell unearthed a fake currency note nexus and arrested its five members, including a woman, it said on Friday. The cartel was operating across Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Following a tip-off on July 6, Ravi Thakur was arrested from Mathura with five illicit pistols and cartridges.

It further led to the arrest of Yogesh Phogat from Gurugram, Kuldeep, alias Chhotu, from Sonipat, Meera from Mathura and kingpin Samsu Khan, alias Rehan, from Firozabad, said Deputy Commissioner of Police Amit Kaushik.

The gang used social media and coded chats to coordinate the supply of arms from Madhya Pradesh and fake currency from Siwan, Bihar.

Samsu Khan operated remotely from Hooghly, West Bengal, and is also wanted by the UP ATS in a weapons trafficking case.

Ravi Thakur received Rs 5,000 per piece for smuggling arms, while Yogesh Phogat, who was earlier jailed in attempt-to-murder cases, acted as an intermediary. While Kuldeep, a former railway employee, modified his SUV into a bulletproof vehicle for smuggling, Meera, who is separated from her husband, smuggled arms across several states on Khan’s orders. Samsu Khan, who managed the syndicate, handled procurement of both arms and fake Indian currency notes.

A total of 10 semi-automatic pistols, 68 live cartridges, Rs 4.10 lakh fake Indian currency notes, three vehicles, including a bullet-proof SUV and mobile phones with incriminating chats were seized during the crackdown.

Kaushik said investigations were on to uncover the cartel’s full network and links between arms smuggling and fake currency circulation.