Fake currency racketbusted in city; 3 held

Lucknow: Madiaon police busted a fake Indian currency note (FICN) racket and arrested three alleged traffickers while they were attempting to exchange counterfeit notes for genuine cash near Ghaila bridge.Acting on specific inputs that fake currency dealers were scouting for buyers in the city, police sent plainclothes personnel to pose as prospective buyers. The decoy officers contacted the suspects and struck a deal to purchase fake notes at a discounted rate in exchange for real money, effectively luring them into a controlled trap.The meeting was fixed near a tin shed in an isolated patch close to Ghaila bridge. As the accused arrived with the consignment and began negotiating the exchange with the decoy team, waiting police personnel moved in and apprehended them on the spot. The three accused — Alok Singh (21), Sonu Gaud alias Golu (25), and Brijesh Vishwakarma (35), all from Azamgarh — were arrested during the operation.A search led to the recovery of 1,402 counterfeit notes of Rs 500 and 6,946 fake notes of Rs 100 denomination, with a total face value of Rs 13,95,600. A mobile phone used to coordinate the deal was also seized.ADCP (north) Twinkle Jain said the accused were part of a broader network that circulated fake currency by passing it off as genuine. “They would lure buyers by offering a higher volume of fake notes against real cash and earn commissions before routing the money further in the network,” she said.