Fake notes racket in Ahmedabad may have terror connection: Cops

Police believe that people involved in circulating fake Indian currency notes could be members of terrorist sleeper cells and could be used for terror attacks at any time.

Jamnagar SP, HK Patel, who busted a fake notes racket recently, said that this is a disturbing possibility that was considered after he busted the fake notes racket.

Talking to DNA, Patel said that if the fake notes racketeers are not stopped, they could then be used to carry out terror attacks in the state.

Patel has arrested 18 people so far from Saurashtra region and is also examining the possibility of the accused being linked to terror outfits.

Even the in-charge DGP of Gujarat, Chitranjan Singh, said that the possibility of the arrested people having a terror connection cannot be ruled out as fake notes can be used to acquire legal money for extremist outfits.

“Counterfeit notes provide easy money to a person living here who can then help someone coming from outside for a few days,” Patel said.

In fact, money, fake or genuine, is among the first requirements for starting a sleeper cell in any place.

Other sources in the police department said that the fake notes smuggled from Bangladesh reach the end-user through a specific chain of people suspected of plotting terror attacks in the country.

Police have found that the fake notes network has a strong base in areas with dense population and with a large number of migrants. In such places, most people are unknown to each other.

“These areas are ideal for sleeper cells as the police do not visit these localities routinely,” a source in the police said.

The Jamnagar police had recently busted a fake notes racket in which counterfeit money from Pakistan was smuggled to West Bengal and then to Gujarat via Bangladesh. The people arrested for the racket were active in small towns and had been bringing fake notes in small consignments from West Bengal.