Nepal police busts fake currency racket, 3 Pak nationals arrested

Bringing to light how Pakistani nationals use Nepal as a transit hub for smuggling counterfeit Indian currency, the Nepal Police recently busted a Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) nexus, arresting three Pakistanis and fake currency kingpin Yunus Miya Ansari from Tribhuvan International Airport here.

Along with the Pakistani nationals, two people from Nepal were also arrested. They had FICN amounting to over seven crores sixty-seven lakhs in their possession when they were caught at the airport.

"We have arrested Yunus Miya Ansari along with three Pakistanis and 2 Nepalese nationals from the Tribhuwan International Airport with counterfeit Indian Bank Notes. They came to Nepal from Qatar with the fake Indian currencies but their passport shows that their travel starts from Pakistan," Bishwo Raj Pokharel, the Spokesman for the Nepal Police, told ANI on Friday.

Friday's arrest has become a subject of concern for some former intelligence and security personnel, as a few anomalies have been observed in the mode of trafficking.

"Yunus Ansari's arrest somewhat seems unusual. He himself went airport to receive the counterfeit Indian banknotes, which were being brought in a suitcase. Previously, a false button technique was in practice which is absent now, which provides space for suspicion," a retired police official, who previously investigated such incidents, told ANI while seeking anonymity.

The three arrested Pakistani nationals have been identified as Mohammad Akhtar (AA 1245494) aged 49, Nasir Uddin (AR 2406432) aged 67, and Nadiya Anwar (CN 1812032) aged 39.

As per their passports, the accused traveled from Islamabad in Pakistan to Kathmandu via Qatar.

The Police on Friday stated that they carried seven pieces of luggage and invited suspicion while completing security checks at the Tribhuwan International Airport.

Furthermore, Nepal's Immigration Department's records show that two of the arrested Pakistanis also visited Nepal a month before. Mohammad and Nadiya had landed in Nepal on April 13, staying on for 15 days on a tourist visa.

"Pakistanis come to Nepal as tourists for trade and with them come counterfeit Indian currencies. This time also they had used the technique of covering the fake Indian currencies with spices and some clothes," a retired intelligence official, on conditions of anonymity said.

With investigations underway, Nepal Police believe that the fake notes were printed in Doha.

Ansari was previously arrested by Nepal Police from Kathmandu in 2014. He had FICN amounting to 3.5 million in his possession during the previous arrest. Before that, the kingpin, along with two Pakistani nationals, was arrested also arrested in 2009 with 2.5 million FICN.

Apart from this, the police recently arrested a Pakistani couple for stealing money from various shops in Butwal and Bhaktapur earlier this month.