Fake Indian currency worth Rs 4.759 million seized in Nepal

Kathmandu: A Thai national and a Nepalese were arrested with fake
Indian currency with the face value of Rs 4.579 million, police said
Tuesday.

The police have arrested Thai national Anuwad Sahid and his Nepalese
accomplice Ishwor Prasad Shah for possessing the fake Indian currency
notes with Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 denominations yesterday, according to
Kathmandu police.

The police claimed to have busted one of the major fake currency
rackets in Kathmandu ahead of the visit of Indian External Affairs
Minister S M Krishna to Kathmandu.

The fake bank notes were brought to Kathmandu on board a Thai Airlines
flight by the Thai national, according to the police.

While, Nepalese national Shah, a resident of Birgunj in southern
Nepal, is said to have ordered the fake bank notes with a view to
sending them to India.

The police have seized fake 1,000 bank notes with denomination of
Rs.1,000 and 7,158 fake bank notes with denomination of Rs.500, from
the hotel room while carrying out a raid on the basis of a tip off,
according to a press release issued by the police. The total face
value of the fake Indian currency was Rs 4.579 million.

The fake bank notes were hidden inside a suit case under a false
bottom. The police have also recovered a Honda Shine motorbike and
four Nepali mobile sim cards from Room No.565 of the Hotel Gyangjong
situated at Lazimpat of Kathmandu where the Thai national was residing
for some time.

During an interrogation Thai national Sahid has admitted that he had
arrived in Kathmandu four times in the past in connection with the
fake currency racket. This was probably for the first time that a Thai
national was arrested in connection with fake Indian currency racket.

Krishna, who is scheduled to arrive in Kathmandu on Wednesday is
likely to take up among other things issues relating to the fake
currency racket during his bilateral talks with the Nepalese officials
In Kathmandu.

Earlier, fake currency notes were brought from Pakistan, but this time
it was brought from Thailand, probably changing the traditional route
with a view to sneaking the eyes of the police.

PTI