PATNA: The Bihar Police’s Special Task Force (STF), with the cooperation of Army Intelligence, on Sunday arrested the alleged kingpin of an Indian fake currency racket linked to Nepal and Bangladesh.
The accused, Daya Tiwari alias Sushil Tiwari, was nabbed from the India-Nepal border in Bihar’s Sitamarhi district.
Acting on intelligence inputs from Army Intelligence, a joint team of the STF and East Champaran police conducted raids at different hideouts of Daya Tiwari and took him into custody.
Tiwari was wanted in connection with a case registered at Haraiya police station in East Champaran district on January 31. He had allegedly been operating in Indian territory for a long time. He used to print fake Indian currency notes and supply them to his agents.
He had been absconding since the case was registered against him at Haraiya police station in East Champaran district on January 31 this year. However, his eight associates were arrested by East Champaran police in January this year.
During the search operation, fake Indian currency notes with a face value of Rs 18,500 and Nepali currency worth Rs 25 lakh were recovered from his possession.
Officials associated with the investigation revealed that chemicals used in making counterfeit notes were also recovered during the search operation.
Both central and state intelligence agencies have expressed hope that his arrest would help check the circulation of fake Indian currency notes in Bihar.
Swarna Prabhat, SP, East Champaran, confirmed the arrest of Tiwari and said that both central and state agencies were involved in the arrest of the fugitive fake currency dealer.
A case has been lodged against him at Haraiya police station in East Champaran district, in which the investigating officer will seek his police remand, he added.
Earlier, another accused, Mohammad Abdul Inam, was arrested by the SSB and state police from Madhubani district on charges of running a fake currency racket along the India-Nepal border. He was accused of having links with a Pakistan-based fake Indian currency network operating through the Nepal border route.
The India-Nepal border has become a corridor not only for illegal immigration but also for terror activities and Pakistan’s ISI network. The route remains active for the movement of arms and fake Indian currency, officials familiar with the matter said.
Meanwhile, state police have intensified operations against those involved in circulating fake Indian currency notes from Nepal and Bangladesh. Recently, the state police headquarters created the post of IG (Border) to deal with trans-border activities. The proposal was approved by the state cabinet at its meeting held last week.
The move is being seen as part of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s exercise to check illegal infiltration into Bihar from Bangladesh and other foreign countries.
