Fake notes kingpin with ISI link caught

A 35-year-old man has been arrested in West Bengal for distributing fake Indian currency notes with face value of Rs 85 lakh in the capital in the last three years.

The notes were brought to India from Pakistan and Bangladesh, police said on Saturday.
Culprit Shahjahan Sheikh hails from West Bengal’s Malda district. His network was also spread in Gujarat, Haryana, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.

“He had been running the racket from Kaliachak village in Malda near India-Bangladesh border,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav.

With Shahjahan’s arrest, police expect to understand the nature of fake note operations being carried out at the behest of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

His interrogation is also likely to lead to the identification of other important modules operating along the porous India-Bangladesh border.

Shahjahan used to receive the notes from a man named Maidul, a major Bangladesh-based supplier.

“Shahjahan also had direct access to ISI agents, who have set up a clandestine market in Bangladesh,” Yadav added.

There, huge quantity of fake Indian currency notes can be obtained by paying Bangladeshi currency Taka.

After procuring the notes, Shahjahan used a network of cross-border smugglers to get them transported to Kaliachak village.

It then passed through a chain of conduits before reaching the intended buyers.
The notes were obtained by Shahjahan at about 25 per cent of its face value in Bangladesh and were being sold at about 40 to 45 per cent of the face value.
The retailers who were ordering bulk supplies from Shahjahan were pushing the notes in the market at about 65 per cent of its face value.

Shahjahan was wanted in 11 cases filed with Special Cell police station. He was also wanted in two other cases of circulating fake notes in Gujarat and Maharashtra.

“Shahjahan never met any unknown client directly. Also, with his extensive network amongst the cross-border smugglers, it was easy for him to keep shuttling between India and Bangladesh,” Yadav said.