Mumbai police have arrested a billionaire's son for allegedly printing fake currency notes, which, they say, he did to fund his drug habit. He was caught when police intercepted a friend he had sent to buy drugs
Salman Sopariwala
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The Mumbai police have arrested a billionaire's son for allegedly printing Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 currency notes, which, they say, he did to fund his drug habit.
Salman Sopariwala (28) was held from Duncan Road in South Mumbai on Thursday after his associate, Waqar Ansari, who was arrested on March 4 during a nakabandi, told the police about him. Two more people are wanted in the case.
The Dongri police were doing nakabandi on Wadi Bunder Bridge on the night of March 4, when they saw a two-wheeler rider taking a U-turn to avoid going past them.
The police stopped him and frisked him, leading to the recovery of fake Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 denomination notes from his pockets. He was identified as Waqar Ansari (21).
"There were 21 notes of Rs 2,000 and 11 of Rs 500, totalling Rs 47,500. He was detained and interrogated by officers about the source of the currency; that's when he gave Sopariwala's name," said an officer.
Another officer said, "Ansari, a graduate from a South Mumbai College, lives in Nagpada. He had worked in call centres, and later, failed to find any work. He had got addicted to mephedrone, heroin and cocaine."
"We suspect that he befriended Sopariwala, alias Sammy, during a visit to their drug peddler, after which they would get together to get high," he added.
Printing paper
Sopariwala's family is in the construction business. He lives with them in a plush 6BHK flat in Agripada. Because he wouldn't get money from them to spend on what he wanted, he decided to print his own. He bought board paper and scanned the new notes.
"The currency printouts we have recovered from his office are on that same fine board paper," said an officer.
After the police got his name from Ansari, they came to know that Sopariwala was in the US on a holiday and was returning on March 9. They kept a watch and arrested him from Duncan Road. They then raided his office, opposite Babulnath temple.
Used only for drugs
"We found blank papers and some notes printed. He hadn't used the fake notes anywhere till then but had given some to Ansari to buy drugs," said the officer.
"He has been booked under IPC sections 489 (A) (counterfeiting currency notes), (B) (using counterfeit currency as genuine), (C) (possession of counterfeit currency notes) and 34 (common intention). He was produced in a court on Friday, which sent him to police custody till March 15," said Nitin Bangale, senior inspector.
"Our teams are searching for the other two who are wanted; we will arrest them soon."
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