5 held with fake currency ahead of Maha Kumbh Mela

"We received reports that there was a conspiracy to circulate a huge amount of counterfeit currency, printed outside the country, at the Maha Kumbh where crores of people would be visiting during the next couple of months. The idea was to hurt the Indian economy," Senior Superintendent of Police of Allahabad Mohit Agrawal told reporters here.

"Consequently, we set up a police team to crack down on elements trying to smuggle counterfeit currency into the city. The team caught hold of five persons in Mutthiganj police station area this morning. A total of Rs 1.43 lakh in fake currency, in the denomination of Rs 100, has been recovered from them," the SSP said.

"The arrested persons, identified as Rajendra, Hemendra, Arvind, Vinay and Rammilan, were bringing the notes on three motorcycles from Faizabad district. They have confessed to have obtained the fake notes from a conduit in Faizabad who had smuggled the counterfeit currency into the country from Nepal," he added.

In addition to the counterfeit notes, five mobile phones have been seized from their possession. Besides, the three motorcycles, one of which the accused confessed was a stolen one, have been seized, he said.