10 arrested with Rs 2.5 million counterfeit Nepali currency notes

. An international gang has been arrested in India for allegedly trying to smuggle in fake Nepali and Indian currency in view of the general elections. The Indian police have arrested a gang operating near Raxaul along the Nepal-India border.

A joint team of East TAG_OPEN_p_9 Champaran Police and Special Task Force (STF) has busted a state-of-the-art printing factory operating in Majorganj area of Sitamarhi district of India.

According to the Indian police, fake Nepali currency notes worth Rs 2.5 million, fake Indian currency notes worth Rs 18,500 and a high-tech machine used for printing currency notes were confiscated during the raid.TAG_OPEN_p_8 Paper, chemicals and other materials used to print fake currency notes have also been confiscated.

Police have arrested 10 people in connection with the incident, out of which 3 are Nepali nationals.TAG_OPEN_p_7 According to the preliminary investigation of the case, the seized counterfeit Nepali currency has been planned to be used for the upcoming elections in Nepal on March 4.

The raid was carried out at a time when the gang was preparing to smuggle counterfeit currency notes into Nepal using the border area.TAG_OPEN_p_6 Police also confiscated three motorcycles and a car. Security agencies said they had intensified the hunt for other gang members and the mastermind.

The police have said that the counterfeit currency is a serious threat to national security and economic stability and no one involved in such activities will be spared.TAG_OPEN_p_5