New Delhi: It is not just the terror attacks or ceasefire violation for which Pakistan has been blamed, the Delhi Police on Thursday said, it suspects ISI's role in sponsoring the racket of counterfeit currencies in the country as well.
While talking to Headlines India, Deputy Commissioner of Delhi Police (Special Cell) Alok Kumar confirmed Pakistan based Iqbal Kana as the mastermind of these fake notes rackets - one of which was recently unearthed in Uttar Pradesh's Domariyagunj branch of the State Bank of India.
Kumar said that "Kana was backed by Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI)". The superior quality counterfeit currencies are printed in Pakistan but are circulated in India to spoil its economy. Adding further, he said that it is really difficult for a layman to distinguish the fake notes during routine money transactions but only the experts from the Reserve Bank of India can detect it.
"Delhi Police alone recovered about Rs 1 crore fake Indian currencies notes for past one year. Almost all the accused arrested with currency had admitted Kana as the mastermind during the interrogation," said Alok Kumar.
The DCP also said that the carrying agent follow the South Eastern countries' routes, mainly Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka to bring the notes in the country. "Basically the notes are of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 denomination. The carrier-agent sometimes used the Samjhauta Express and other roadways as the transport to pump the fake notes in the country," Kumar added.
"Wanted by Indian police Iqbal Kana, who is involved in fake currency racket, has distributed the fake notes through their network in Delhi and National Capital Region. "Police seizes or recovering the fake currencies are based on the intelligence inputs," said DCP Alok.
During an encounter in 2006, police neutralised a terrorist identified as Ghulam from whom the police had recovered a huge cache of counterfeit currencies. Another name that has been cropped up, is a Dubai based currency-supplier, Aftab Bhatki, who is said to have been sending fake notes in the country as well. "Though Delhi Police has information about his involvement in supplying notes in India but none of the accused arrested so far named Aftab," Kumar said.