Carriers of fake currency notes have murky pasts

Mumbai: A week after the arrest of two carriers of fake Indian currency notes (FICN) possessing Rs 7.36 lakh the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has found that one of the carriers also has a murder case against him registered in Bengal.

The other carrier also had brush with the law after the Bangalore crime branch arrested him in a similar case of FICN last year. The duo allegedly was into the business of smuggling counterfeit currency from at least the past five years. They were identified as Azharuddin Shaikh and Shabbir Subhan, who were apprehended from near Sanpada railway station on September 9. 

”Both the persons have a criminal past which is unusual as racketeers opt for villagers with no criminal past to work as carriers for them. We are gathering more details pertaining to the murder and if there are more cases against these two persons,” said a DRI officer. 

The DRI had conducted a similar crackdown on August 31 and arrested a carrier from Mumbra with Rs 7.5 lakh worth FICN. The accused, Khuddus Baig, 36, a native of Karnataka was arrested from Mumbra with `7.5 lakh worth fake currency. He had procured the FICN from West Bengal, officials said.

Investigators said that the handlers of the arrested duo are likely to be linked with the guy arrested from Mumbra with counterfeit currency. A team of DRI on August 31 arrested a carrier from Mumbra with Rs 7.5 lakh worth FICN.