13 January,2025 07:51 AM IST | Mumbai | Apoorva Agashe
The Byculla police team and the arrested individuals
The Byculla police, in a significant crackdown, apprehended four individuals accused of producing counterfeit currency. Authorities suspect that the group not only manufactured the fake notes but also circulated them within the city. The police suspect that the group had been making fake notes for the past five to six months and have launched a manhunt to apprehend one accused who is still at large.
"We received information that one person would be present near Prasad paan-bidi general store to sell the fake notes. The team from Byculla police acted on the tip-off and three individuals were identified at the location. One of them was found to be in possession of fake notes of Rs 200 and Rs 500 denominations. The three individuals have been arrested," Dattaray Kamble, DCP, Zone III, told mid-day.
The trio was aidentified as Asif Bable alias Usman, 48, Yasin Shaikh, 42, and Bhim Bandela, 47. "Upon interrogation, they revealed that they made the fake currency notes in Wada, Palghar district. Subsequently, a team was sent to Palghar from where Neeraj Wekande, 25, was arrested. We also found fake notes at the location in Wada," Senior Police Inspector Chimaji Adhav said, adding that the cops were on the lookout for the financier of the operation.
According to the police, Wekande and the wanted accused had financed the group. "Their modus operandi was to add fake notes in a bundle of authentic notes. Wekande and one more person financed the group. We suspect this group might have supplied other small groups across the city with counterfeit notes. We are investigating the matter," said an officer.
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The police seized a laptop, colour printer, lamination machine, colour laser printer, fake note detector and butter paper from Wada. They are now looking into the backgrounds of the accused, who have been booked under Sections 178 (counterfeiting coins, notes, currency, bank notes or government stamps), 179 (using counterfeit or forged coins, currency notes, bank notes, or government stamps as genuine), among others, of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
