TV actor among gang caught in Rs 7 crore fake currency racket in Mumbai

The Mumbai Crime branch Unit-11 have arrested seven people and busted an inter-state gang involved in the printing and distribution of counterfeit notes. They have seized fake Indian currency notes with a face value of Rs 7 crore.

One of the arrested accused is a model and actor who has worked in the Doordarshan serial Rangbhari. According to police sources, acting on specific information, officers from Unit-11 intercepted a car at Dahisar check post on Tuesday and detained the four people. During a search of the car, the officers found a bag containing 250 bundles of counterfeit currency notes (in Rs 2,000 denomination) with a face value of Rs 5 crore.

The police caught the four accused by setting a trap at the Dahisar check-post. The others were arrested from the hotel

The four accused revealed the names of three more aides who were staying in Hotel Alfa Grand in Andheri. The crime branch team conducted a raid at the hotel and arrested the trio, the officer said. Police found 100 more bundles of fake currency notes (in Rs 2,000 denomination) with a face value of Rs 2 crore. The arrested accused have been identified as Manoj Sharma, 39, Pradeep Chaudhry, 28, Waseem Salmani, 29, Sumit Yespal Sharma alias Sam, 32, Vinod Vijayan, 39, Israr Salamani, 26, and Afaque.

Real money was to be divided

The gang leaders Manoj Sharma and Pradeep Chaudhary, from Delhi, run a real estate firm. Waseem was asked to arrange for R7 crore fake currency notes by a Mumbai local. He was asked to replace Rs 7 crore, kept in a godown, with fake notes.

Waseem, who had to shut his barbershop during the lockdown, contacted Sharma and told him about the offer, and the latter agreed to arrange for the fake notes. He and Chaudhary prepared fake currency notes of Rs 7 crore with the help of a scanner and printer in his office for four consecutive days, said an officer.

As per the plan, every member was to get 10 per cent from the original note. They took the help of other accused in making fake notes. After the notes were prepared, the accused brought them to Mumbai, from Delhi, by train on different dates and stayed at a hotel in Andheri.

Gang busted

Four accused were going to deliver the notes in Vasai. However, the police, who had received a tip-off, caught the four accused by setting a trap at the Dahisar check-post. The others were arrested from the hotel. "Under the supervision of DCP Sangram Singh Nishandar senior inspector, inspector Sachin Gavas and Mansingh Patil, assistant inspector Bharat Ghone, sub-inspector Abhijeet Jadhav and Kangude and other staff have busted the inter-state gang," said Vinayak Chavan, senior inspector of Crime Branch Unit 11.

7
No. of accused arrested in the racket