Fake currency: Rs 1500 crore pumped into India in one year

Kolkata, May 25: An estimate of Rs 1500 crore worth of fake currency was pumped into the Indian market between 2013 and 2014, investigations being conducted have revealed.

As the National Investigating Agency probes the fake currency link to the Malda module in West Bengal, it has found that newer routes and better machinery are being used.

The arrest of an operative from Malda known as Shahjahan has given the investigating agency various details on how this module between Pakistan-Bangladesh and India had functioned. It was also found that in the year 2013-2014, a whopping Rs 1500 crore worth of fake currency had been pumped into India.

Another interesting revelation is that the fake Indian currency was now being printed on the same paper which is used to print the Pakistan rupee.

Tip of the iceberge

When Shahjahan was arrested from Malda in West Bengal a few months back the police had found Rs 20 lakh worth of fake currency on him. Further investigations that were conducted revealed that the module that Shahjahan allegedly worked for was a major one and spanned between three countries.

Shahjahan's interrogation revealed some shocking facts which included the routes that these persons used. It was found that all the fake currency from Pakistan was being routed into India through Bangladesh.

Pakistani operatives based out of Bangladesh were leading this module and ensured that fake Indian currency was being pumped in regularly. Scores of illegal immigrants who come into India were sent with considerable amount of fake currency.

Shahjahan ran a module in West Bengal which arranged for the pick up of this fake currency and then he circulated it around the country.

Indian currency on Pakistan paper

The cat and mouse game between the Indian officials and fake currency makers in Pakistan has been a continuous one. Over the years Pakistan has used various tactics to ensure that the fake currency being printed by them looked genuine.

Pakistan even went up to the extent of sourcing the paper from the same place that India sourced it.

However today there are more safeguards and with India enhancing security on this front, Pakistan has found another way to print genuine looking notes.

Over the past year, all the fake currency that has been printed has been done so on the same paper that Pakistan uses to print its Rupee. This is yet another indicator of how closely the establishment in Pakistan is linked to this racket.

Sources in the NIA tell OneIndia that the fake currency racket is directly linked to the Pakistan establishment. We have found that the notes being used to print the Pakistan rupee and the fake Indian currency are the same.

The paper that is used is of very high quality and these criminals have managed to get the water marking too right. There is no way that one can tell the difference between a genuine and fake note by glancing at it, the NIA officer also pointed out.

OneIndia News