NEW DELHI: A 47-year-old Bulgarian national, who had even served in Bulgarian Army for six years, was arrested by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police for printing and supplying fake Indian currency notes. The accused, identified as Ruslan Petrov Metodiev, had first arrived in
India in 2018 to explore the possibility of business but a year later he along with one fellow Bulgarian national was arrested in a cheating and forgery case lodged at Tuglak Road police station in Delhi. During his stay in jail, he came into contact with certain persons who were involved in printing and circulating counterfeit currency.
Special Commissioner of Police, Special Cell, HGS Dhaliwal said the police had secret information regarding the circulation of FICN by the members of an international syndicate in India. “During surveillance, it was revealed that a foreign national in Gurugram is involved in the circulation of fake currency notes in various parts of India with the connivance of other members of this cartel based in different countries,” the Special CP said.
He said the Special Cell on June 21 received a tip-off that this foreign national would come to Ganda Nala Road, near Bajghera on Najafgarh-Kapashera Road, Delhi to deliver a big consignment of FICN to his contact namely Ashaiba. Accordingly, a raiding party was immediately formed which laid a trap and the accused Ruslan Petrov Metodiv was apprehended with FICN equivalent to Rs 8 lakhs in his possession.
The accused divulged that he is involved in printing FICN at his flat at Palam Vihar, Gurugram, and can get recover the material/equipment used for printing FICN. Further, during the search of his house, the equipment used for printing FICN and cash Rs 1,89,000 derived from the sale proceeds of FICN were recovered by the cops.
The accused Ruslan Petrov Metodiev was thoroughly interrogated by the police and he disclosed that he was part of a big international FICN racket. Earlier, he would deliver FICN to various persons in Delhi-NCR on the instructions of his handlers sitting in different parts of the world.
Later, after recognizing the high demand for FICN and the margin of profit, he started printing FICN on its own and began supplying the self-made FICN to his receivers in Delhi-NCR. He learned the art of printing FICN on YouTube.