Kolkata: Numerous arrests in connection to fake currency rackets have been recently reported in the city. The Special Task Force of Kolkata Police has nabbed a Fake Indian Currency Note (FICN) racketeer from Bowbazar area on Tuesday evening.
According to a source, since the past few months, fake currency notes racketeers have been spreading their networks across the city.
After being informed by the intelligence units about such activities, STF had commenced an extensive search operation and kept strict vigil in the city to crackdown on the fake currency rackets operating here.
The Special Task Force nabbed several FICN racketeers before the Lok Sabha election seized huge amount of fake notes from them.
On Tuesday afternoon, STF sleuths got a tip-off that a FICN racketeer had come to Kolkata to deliver a consignment of fake notes. Working on the information, officers came to know that a man in Bowbazar area had some payments at some shops using fake notes. Around 5:30 pm, sleuths detained a man named Vinod Kumar Yadav of Muzaffarpur in Bihar while he was purchasing something using fake notes.
During questioning, it was revealed that Yadav majorly carried out his activities in Bihar and he came to Kolkata to expand his network. While searching the place he was staying, sleuths found 225 notes of 2000 denomination and 100 notes of Rs 500 denomination worth Rs 5 lakh.
On March 9, STF officers had nabbed two fake currency racketeers from Chandni Chowk. As the STF officers had prior information, they were keeping a strict vigil in the area. Around 1:45 pm, sleuths noticed two persons and one of them was carrying a bag. The duo, identified as Dipak Mandal alias Bhola and Joy Mandal, was intercepted and detained immediately.
During questioning the duo fumbled while answering the sleuths. On suspicion, the police checked the bag and found that the duo was carrying a good number of fake notes.
Immediately, both the accused persons were taken to the STF facility at Lalbazar. Later, it was found that the duo was carrying 400 notes of Rs 2000 denomination, which is worth Rs 8 lakh.
After the duo was remanded to STF custody, sleuths interrogated both of them and came to know about another FICN racketeer. Dipak stated that a person named Tofajul Hoque from Malda would come to Kolkata with another consignment of fake currency notes. But he could not confirm the exact date. Based on the information, officers started gathering information regarding the suspect.
On March 18, they got a tip-off that Hoque had arrived in Kolkata and was shortly about to meet a prospective buyer of FICN. Working on the information STF personnel kept a strict vigil in and around Moulali area.
Around 6 pm, sleuths identified Hoque as per the description given by Dipak, and surrounded him near a petrol pump on CIT Road. During search, sleuths found 100 fake notes of Rs 2000 denomination worth Rs 2 lakh from his possession. He was arrested immediately.