Prayagraj: Four persons, including acting principal/maulvi of an Attarsuiya-based Madrassa Jamia Habibia mosque, were arrested by the Civil Lines police for scanning, printing and circulating fake currency notes in the Sangam city.
The police seized fake currency notes worth Rs 1.30 lakh (a total of 1,300 fake currency notes in the denomination of Rs 100), 234 sheets on which currency notes were printed, a laptop, a mouse, keyboard, a laptop charger, printers, cutter blades, scissors and other articles from them.The fake currency notes were printed in a room of the madrassa for the past three months. The room was taken on rent by the accused who were identified as Mohd Tafseerul Aafrin (25) of Bhadrak (Odisha), Zahir Khan alias Abdul Zahir (23) of Azad Basti (Bhadrak), Mohd Shahid (18) of Kareli and Mohd Afzal (18) of Gaus Nagar.
DCP (city) Deepak Bhuker told TOI that Mohd Tafseerul Aafrin, acting principal and maulvi of Attarsuiya-based Madrassa Jamia Habibiya, had rented a room to the mastermind of the racket Zahir Khan on the madrassa campus to operate the racket on a profit-sharing basis. He added, “Mohd Tasfseerul Aafrin and Zahir Khan were involved in circulating fake currency notes in small shops.”
The DCP claimed that Zahir Khan and Mohd Afzal were involved in scanning and printing high-quality fake currency notes in the rented room of the madrassa. The racketeers were printing and scanning fake currency in the denomination of Rs 100 as usually people do not check the authenticity of Rs 100. Zahir Khan used to pay Rs 100 for supplying three fake currency notes of Rs 100 denomination. The DCP said, “Both Zahir Khan and Afzal were using a scanner and printer used for printing of Aadhaar cards.” The mastermind and his accomplices started the printing work after the madrassa was closed, he added.
Additional SP (Civil Lines) Shwetabh Pandey told TOI that the gang was planning to pump in Rs 45,000 fake currency notes in markets of Attarsuiya, Kydganj, Khuldbad and adjoining areas.
The ASP said Mohd Tafseerul Aafrin was running the madrassa at Attarsuiya for the past six years and he came in contact with Zahir Khan about three years back as they both belonged to Bhadrak. He also claimed that Mohd Afzal is a 10th passout, while Mohd Shahid, who was deputed to circulate fake currency notes in the market, was a Vth passout. They were all booked under sections 178, 179, 180, 181 and 182 (1) of BNS.
