Gujarat ATS arrests kingpin of major fake currency racket

The kingpin of a major fake currency racket in the country, having links with a Pakistan
intelligence agency, was arrested by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad and counterfeit notes with a face value of Rs1.35 lakh were seized from his possession, officials said today.

Asgar Ali Abdul Hussain Abuli, believed to be the main agent of pumping counterfeit currency into the economy, was arrested last night, ATS officials said. "Apart from 1.35 lakh counterfeit notes, the ATS has also seized some objectionable documents, besides a Bangladeshi passport from Abuli," ATS inspector general Ajay Tomar said.

Abuli has links with officials of the Pakistan intelligence agency, officials said. "During the interrogation, we found that Pakistan and Dubai-based elements, who run this racket, would send fake currency consignment to Abuli via Nepal and subsequently
he would distribute [them] in the network," he added.

The accused, who is from Godhra, shifted to Pakistan with his family and got a passport from Karachi in 1977. He moved to Dubai in 1984, where he stayed till 1986 and thereafter returned to Pakistan, Tomar said. In 1994, he was arrested in Karachi for forging a bearer certificate and was jailed for a couple of months, he said.

Abuli returned to India with his family in 1998 and landed sundry jobs in Godhra, Ankleshwar and Ahmedabad, ATS officials said.