'Fake money funded Ahmedabad blasts'

The Arabian Sea provides an unhindered route for transporting fake currency into India

AHMEDABAD: For years Gujarat has been a transit point for smuggling fake currency. The sea route is a popular one. "Smuggling is done on speedboat," a Border Security Force officer said. "It takes only a few minutes and such boats are usually not spotted on our radars."

The amount of fake currency being pumped in overland has come down over the years. But the state is still to take strict action at sea. The Jhakhau and Mendhi stretches near Kutch are considered the most vulnerable sea routes. Intelligence sources said the recent serial blasts in Ahmedabad were largely financed through fake currency.

The Gujarat Police recently busted some gangs and seized fake currency amounting to crores of rupees, particularly in Saurashtra. "Seven districts of Saurashtra have become most vulnerable," a senior police officer in Ahmedabad told DNA.

Though the Ahmedabad Police has achieved some success in busting the interstate fake currency racket, it is yet to work out how to prevent this traffic. "We cannot know of their moves unless we get strong tip-offs," a senior officer said. "The crime can be easily committed in any corner of the state."

A senior official from the Union home ministry said these counterfeit notes are hard to identify and come in handy for terrorists while arranging logistics like rented
accommodation and vehicles for travel. The ministry and the national security agency have ordered the intelligence agencies to trace the routes through which fake currency enters the country. But a senior intelligence officer said this is an almost impossible task. "The money is being pumped in from almost all over the country," he said. "Pakistan has established transhipment bases in almost every country in South Asia to ensure a non-stop flow of fake currency into India."
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