Counterfeit notes racket busted in Gangtok

Sikkim police have busted a gang involved in bringing and circulating counterfeit notes in the state and arrested two persons from Singtam in connection with it.

East Sikkim district police said today the arrests have been made since Thursday and one of them hailed from Malda in neighbouring West Bengal, where counterfiet notes had been seized in the past.

Police arrested Md Sheikh from Singtam bazar when he was spotted going around shops trying to pass off fake Rs 1000 notes. He was caught when suspicious shop keepers alerted the police.

His accomplice Babul Haq was arrested yesterday after Sheikh divulged his name along with others to the police during grilling and helped in netting him by inviting him from Siliguri as part of a ruse, district superintendent of police MS Tuli said.

Seikh had also confessed that his accomplices had spread themselves across north Bengal, he said.

Police have ascertained that the gang had been visiting Gangtok for the past six-seven months and had carried Rs 50000 with them each time and it was suspected that they had been able to pass off about Rs two lakh.

Tuli said the two have been charged with possesing and circulating counterfeit notes.