In a significant breakthrough, Prayagraj police have busted a high-quality fake currency racket that was being operated from a madrasa in the Attarsuiya area of Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. Four individuals, including the acting principal of the madrasa, have been arrested in connection with the operation.
The raid took place on August 28 at the Jamia Habibiya madrasa, where police seized counterfeit currency worth Rs1.3 lakh, semi-manufactured notes, and the equipment used to print the fake currency. The counterfeit notes seized were primarily Rs100 denominations, as they are commonly used and less scrutinized by the public.
The accused have been identified as:
Mohammad Tafseerul Arifin (25), the acting principal of the madrasa
Mohammad Afzal
Mohammad Shahid
Zahir Khan alias Abdul Zahir
According to police officials, the gang used high-quality scanners and printers to create the fake notes. The fake Rs100 notes were then circulated in local markets, taking advantage of the fact that smaller denominations are less likely to be thoroughly inspected by people.
The acting principal, Tafseerul, had reportedly provided a room in the madrasa for the operation. The accused had set up a mini counterfeit currency printing operation within the madrasa, which had been attracting students from various states like West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar, and Jharkhand. Tafseerul hails from Bhadrak district in Odisha.
Police have stated that the gang would print and circulate the fake notes in areas around Prayagraj, exploiting the public’s lack of vigilance when accepting small denomination notes.
Following the arrests, Prayagraj police have intensified their efforts to trace other accomplices involved in the operation. Investigators are also examining whether the counterfeit notes were circulated only within Prayagraj or if the racket had a larger network.
A reward of Rs25,000 has been announced for the police team that successfully cracked the fake currency racket and made the arrests.
