Twitter
Advertisement

Fake currency racket busted, 6 held

Alcohol can be injurious to you, especially if you try paying for it with counterfeit money.

Latest News
article-main
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

Counterfeit notes came from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh

BANGALORE: Alcohol can be injurious to you, especially if you try paying for it with counterfeit money. A gang of fraudsters discovered this the hard way when a simple slip-up at an uptown bar landed them - and their illegal business - into the hands of the police.

The police have busted a counterfeit currency racket and arresting six men, including the kingpin and a middleman. Fake notes estimated at Rs3.76 lakh were recovered from them.

Based on a tip-off from Sampige Bar in Banaswadi, police nabbed four persons, who - in turn - provided information on the others involved in the activity. The arrested persons are Venkatesh (36), Venkatraman (32), P Subramani (29), M Sarvar (29), Mustafa Kamal Pasha (52) and Ranganath alias Ranga (43).

As many as 98 currency notes of Rs1,000 denomination and 570 notes of Rs500 denomination were seized in the operation.
"Four members of the gang tried to pay their bill at the Sampige Bar with counterfeit notes amounting to Rs2,000. However, the bar owner noticed it and informed us - which led to the arrest of Venkatesh, Venkatraman, Subramani and Pasha,'' said a police official.

Middleman Mustafa Kamal Pasha (52), a resident of Gandhinagar in Bangalore, who has already been booked once for distributing counterfeit currency notes on Commercial Street, was mediating between scam kingpin Ranganath alias Ranga, a native of Dharmapuri in Tamil Nadu, and the others. Another accused, Sarvar, a native of Chittur in Andhra Pradesh, used to get the fake notes from that state for circulating in Karnataka.

Venkatesh, Venkatraman, Subramani and Sarvar reportedly gave Rs32,000 to the kingpin for the counterfeit notes. They had
already divided the money for circulation in the market, supported by autorickshaw drivers Venkatesh and Venkatraman, who were planning to cheat commuters.

"The fake notes come from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. In this case, Pasha had called Ranganath and asked for a consignment of 'the goods', which was duly delivered. We are yet to know if they have already circulated fake notes in Bangalore or other parts of Karnataka. The deals normally take place through telephone,'' said a senior police official.

Two members of the gang, Dhanabal and Chandrashekar, both natives of Tamil Nadu, are absconding. Stating that they have gone into hiding with counterfeit currency notes estimated at Rs28,000, police said Chandrashekar was in charge of printing them.

 

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement