Another gang member of international FICN cartel arrested from UP

New Delhi [India], June 23 : Delhi Police Special Cell nabbed one more gang member named Irshad from Uttar Pradesh's Kairana who was involved in the supply of Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN).

Irshad was nabbed with around 2.5 lakhs FICN. Raids are still underway in parts of UP to nab more members of the gang. A Bulgarian national named Ruslan Petrov Metodiev was arrested earlier this week.

Delhi Police arrested Irshad from Uttar Pradesh's Kairana from leads provided by the Bulgarian national that was arrested earlier this week. Raids are still underway in parts of UP to nab more members of the gang.

Irshad was arrested with around 2.5 lakhs FICN, and a total of around 5 lakhs FICN has been seized so far.

Earlier in the week, on June 21, Wednesday, Delhi Police Special Cell arrested a Bulgarian National Ruslan Petrov Metodiev, a member of the international Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) cartel. High-quality FICN amounting to Rs. Eight Lakhs recovered from him along with Cash Rs. 1,89,000/- derived from sale proceeds of FICN was also recovered.

A team of Special Cell arrested a key member of an international FICN racket from Gurugram. The accused is a Bulgarian and is a permanent resident of Sofia, Bulgaria.

High-quality Fake Indian Currency Notes equivalent to Rs. Eight Lakhs, all in the denomination of Rs 500 were recovered from him. Further, the material and equipment used for printing FICN were also recovered including a lamination machine, three paper scaling and cutter machines, one loose bundle of papers allegedly used in printing FICN, 35 tracing papers on which "500", photo of Mahatma Gandhi, "RBI" was printed, 30 semi-prepared/unfinished paper sheets of FICN, four wooden frames with imprints of numeral 500, one metallic clamping tool, two spray adhesive bottles, one box glitter powder, two green foil papers, eight bottles of ink, Rs. 1,89,000/- INR (original), two laptops, two printers were recovered from his house in Gurugram, Haryana on Wednesday.

A mobile handset and SIM cards used in the FICN circulation were also recovered from him.

During surveillance, it was revealed that a foreign national staying in Gurugram, Haryana is involved in the circulation of fake currency notes in various parts of India with the connivance of other members of this cartel based in different countries.

Finally, June 21, Wednesday, Delhi Police received secret information that the accused would come to Ganda Nala Road, near Bajghera on Najafgarh-Kapashera Road in Delhi to deliver a big consignment of FICN to a person named Ashaiba.

Accordingly, a raiding party was immediately formed and a trap was laid at Bajghera Chowk towards Ganda Nala Road, Delhi and the accused Ruslan Petrov Metodiv was apprehended at with FICN equivalent to Rs. Eight Lakhs in his possession.

The accused divulged that he prints FICN at his Flat in Palam Vihar, Gurugram and can get recover the material/equipment used for printing FICN. Further, during the search of his house, the material and equipment used for printing FICN and cash Rs. 1,89,000/- derived from the sale proceeds of FICN were recovered. A case under relevant provisions of the law was registered at PS Special Cell in this regard and an investigation was taken up.

After a thorough interrogation of the accused Ruslan Petrov Metodiev, he disclosed that he was part of a big international FICN racket.

The accused is a permanent resident of Bulgaria and came to India in 2018. Thereafter, he came to India again in 2019 and was arrested by Tughlak Road police in a case of cheating and forgery for putting a skimming device in an ATM of HDFC Bank.

In January 2021, he was released on bail in the case. During his stay in jail, he came into contact with certain persons who were involved in the printing and circulation of Fake Indian Currency Notes.

Earlier, he would deliver FICN to various persons in Delhi/NCR on the instructions of his handlers sitting in different parts of the world. Later, after recognizing the high demand for FICN and the margin of profit, he started printing FICN on his own and began supplying and circulating the self-made FICN to his receivers in Delhi/NCR.

He learnt the art of printing FICN on YouTube.