Kasargod Police in Mangalore to Hunt Down Accused in Fake Currency Scam
Stephen Kayyar
Daijiworld Media Network - Kasargod
Kasargod, Aug 20: Investigations into a suspected counterfeit currency racket has led Kasargod police to Mangalore, where they are reportedly looking for a man accused in the case.
On Saturday August 18, Abdul Jabbar (39), a resident of Chervatoor had been arrested for buying jewellery worth Rs 1.8 lac with fake currency from Malabar Gold outlet in Kanhangad. Three people including Jabbar had visited the store and done the purchasing, but after they left, it was found that they had handed over fake notes of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 denominations.
A complaint was filed with Hosadurg police, who with the help of CCTV images identified the men and found out the number of one of them. As the number was in Chervatoor circle, the case was shifted to Chervatoor police, who then managed to arrest Jabbar and two others. Jabbar, who had come down from Dubai just three days prior to his arrest, had said that a man in Mangalore had supplied him the notes, and that the notes had reached his house even before he arrived from Dubai.
On further interrogation, Jabbar revealed the man's name (withheld for purpose of investigation), and that he had met him in Dubai jail where they were lodged together for some other crimes.
It was learnt that Jabbar had circulated Rs 5.39 lac of fake currency in three days through various transactions like buying jewellery and electronics, and paying electricity bills. Jabbar also admitted that he had counterfeit notes worth Rs 6 lac and that he had thrown the rest of the notes in a river at Mudagara when he got news of the police raid.
Police suspect that both Jabbar and the other man are involved in running a counterfeit currency racket in Kasargod and Dakshina Kannada districts, respectively.
It may be recalled that on July 26, three from West Bengal had been arrested by the Barke police in Mangalore for possessing counterfeit currency worth Rs 2 lac. Police are now checking whether the two incidents are linked and whether there is a nexus between the accused in the two cases.