7-member gang preparing fake degree certificates busted

Bellary, Apr 21 (UNI) In a major breakthrough, the district police busted a seven-member gang involved in preparing fake degree certificates, mark cards and currencies, with the arrest of three of its members during a raid conducted here today.

Informing this to reporters here, Superintendent of Police Pankajkumar Thakur said the gang was involved in preparing fake academic documents of major universities and selling it for about Rs 11,000 to Rs 15,000.

They had so far circulated about 800 fake certificates of major universities, including Venkateswara University, Tirupati, Krishnadevaraya University of Anantapur, Krishnadevaraya Engineering College of Gooty, Gulbarga University of Gulbarga, Visveswaraiah Technical University of Belgaum, Secondary School Education Board of Bangalore, Jawaharlal Technical University of Hyderabad and Pre-University Board of Bangalore.

The kingpin of the gang, Glenn Breggs, had earlier been operating from Guntakal in Andhra Pradesh with the help of four people. As the Andhra Pradesh police spread a dragnet to nab them, they shifted their operations to Bellary.

In Bellary, Breggs and his accomplices ran their business from a rented room and used Mariyan Gonsalves and A Vasanthkumar as agents to contact students who were in need of fake certificates and currencies in the denomination of Rs 500.

Mr Thakur said the district police succeeded in tracking down the culprits by working in tandem with the Andhra Pradesh police. The arrested were B Devappa of Guntakal, Vasanthkumar and Gonslaves of Bellary. The other members of the gang, Breggs, Thimmappa, Firoz and Nagesh, would be arrested soon, he added.

He said the police were yet to trace the fake certificates circulated by the gang.

The police seized as many as 141 fake marks cards and certificates, silver security thread used in preparing fake currencies, computers, printers and about 50 fake rubber stamps of Joint Directors, and Deputy Directors of Education Department from the room, he added.

UNI XR RG SKB2030