Kalyan: Hawkers tip off cops on man buying fruits with fake notes

Ankush Singh was arrested by MFC police, Kalyan. Pic/Navneet Barhate

The Mahatma Phule Chowk (MPC) police in Kalyan have arrested a person from Delhi for circulating fake currency notes in the vegetable market of Kalyan. The police have seized Rs 13,000 in fake notes from the accused who claimed he is from Delhi and earned his living as a driver with Rapido. The accused told the police he had got the fake currency notes of Rs 100, Rs 200 and Rs 500 denominations from a person in Delhi. A team is conducting investigations to trace the syndicate operating from Delhi. This happens to be the second case of fake currency in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region in the span of a week. Two people were arrested by BKC police in a case related to fake currency.

"Last week, hawkers outside the Kalyan railway station noticed a person handing out fake notes to make purchases from hawkers. An alert fruit seller informed his friend that a person was using Rs 100 and Rs 200 notes to purchase fruits and clothes from the hawkers. The fruit seller and his friend approached the police showing the fake currency they received. The police got into action and the suspect was caught within 20 minutes," said a police officer. The suspect was identified as Ankush Singh.

Shailesh Salvi, senior police inspector of MPC police station said that they have seized Rs 13,000 fake currency notes of Rs 100, Rs 200 and Rs 500 denominations. "We have registered a case against Singh and are further investigating the matter. Singh during investigation revealed that he came to visit his relative in Mumbai. He was to board a train from Kalyan. So he came outside the Kalyan railway station to circulate and exchange the fake currency notes from hawkers who he presumed will not suspect. However, he was caught red handed with the fake currency notes," said Salvi.

The MPC police have registered a case against him for exchanging and circulating fake currency notes in the market. "Singh during interrogation revealed that he got the notes from a friend in Delhi. The friend suggested that he circulate the notes in the market with the promise of entrusting him with a bigger task. On the basis of the information our team of police officers has left for Delhi to bust the syndicate," said a police officer.

MPC police station had also informed the National Investigation Agency which is also doing a parallel investigation in the matter and are trying to break the syndicate operating across the country. "The investigation will try to find answers on how they are printing the fake currency and where they got the idea from?" said the police officer.

Rs 31,000
Ostensible value of fake currency notes

‘Learnt from YouTube'

The Bandra Kurla Complex police, last Friday, arrested two people and seized R45,000 in fake currency notes and R80,000 genuine cash. The accused have been identified as Mehendi and Naushad who told the police that they learnt to make counterfeit currency from YouTube and had already introduced a few notes in the market by making small purchases. The BKC police have also seized the photocopying machine and the glossy paper from the accused persons which were used to print the fake currency.