Central Gujrat emerges as hub of fake note rackets

VADODARA: The state anti-terrorist squad (ATS), Anand police and Panchmahal police have all since the last three days been kept busy with detection of fake currency rackets. What has surprised investigators is the fact that in most cases is the ready availability of fake currency notes and connections in central Gujarat to the rackets.
But it is not for the first time that such rackets have come to light in the region.In September 2008, two persons from the Maldah district in West Bengal - Abdul Manan Sanullah Sheikh and Mohammed Nazrul Sanullah Sheikh - were caught with fake currency by the Vadodara police. Interestingly, Abdul Manan was nabbed again in connection with a fake currency racket by the ATS last month.
In March 2009, the city police again busted a fake currency note racket after alert shopkeepers nabbed two persons in March 2009 from Fatehgunj when they tried to use a fake Rs 500 note. Harendra Gaud, a resident of Bihar and Saddam Ansari, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, led police to a house at Kamatipura where more fake currency notes were found.
In May 2009, Tajuddin alias Taj Saiyed, who belonged to Bhopal, but was staying in Nepal was nabbed with fake currency notes at the Vadodara railway station.
Police officials investigating the recent fake note cases at Anand and Panchmahal said that fake currency was readily available in Bangladesh and Maldah district had emerged as the hub of those peddling it into India. "The accused we arrested on Monday has told us that the border is accessible easily and there are several like him who got fake currency from Bangladesh. After a point there is little we can do as the roots of the problem lie in a different country," said Panchmahal special operations group (SOG) inspector M V Kikani. SOG had trapped one Mohammed Rafiqul Haq Mayuddin Sheikh, a resident of Maldah district with fake currency. A senior official said that there seemed to be a definite line that fake currency peddlers had identified in the region. "They may have been using it since quite some time, but it has been exposed now," he said, adding that Bangladesh was emerging as a major centre for the operation of these rackets.
Another distinct possibility that Anand police officials believe is the reason for the well-oiled racket running in central Gujarat is the involvement of Jayanti Pateliya, the prime accused and mastermind in the sensational star ruby triple murders case. "Our case and that of the ATS are connected to each other and it is the links and network of Pateliya that may have been used for pushing fake currency in the market," said Anand district crime branch police inspector J B Gohil. The crime branch had arrested two persons - Vasram alias Vivek Prajapati and Nikhilkumar Master - in a fake currency racket.