UP ATS arrests 2 smugglers from Varanasi

Lucknow, Jan 27 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh ATS on Saturday arrested two alleged smugglers from Varanasi for supplying fake Indian currency from Bangladesh to different areas of the state and seized fake currencies having a face value of Rs 97,500, a senior police official said.

Director General of Police (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar in a statement said that the Indian counterfeit currency from Bangladesh was allegedly smuggled into Uttar Pradesh via Farakka, Malda, through associates (of the arrested accused) in West Bengal and then sent to different districts. Two members of the delivery gang — Deepak Kumar, a resident of the Kotwali police station area of the Pratapgarh district and Chandan Sainik from Pratapgarh district’s Raniganj area — were arrested on Saturday morning from Varanasi.

He said that fake Indian currency with a face value of Rs 97,500 and flight and train tickets to and from West Bengal have been seized from the possession of the accused.

The ATS had received information that some people from Uttar Pradesh are in contact with a gang of counterfeit currency smugglers from West Bengal, who bring fake currency printed in Bangladesh and supply it in various districts of Uttar Pradesh.

According to the ATS, Deepak Kumar and Chandan Sainik are habitual smugglers. Kumar has previously been sent to jail in connection with ganja smuggling and Sainik has been jailed twice on charges of ganja smuggling and vehicle theft.