Fake notes from the sky: Pakistan's ISI latest drone plot alarms Indian agencies

New Delhi: Pakistan's ISI and its stooges have been making a massive push to flood the Indian markets with fake currency, the agencies have learnt.

The key areas of concern remain the Tripura-Bangladesh border and Punjab. While couriers are being used to push fake currency into the Indian market along the Bangladesh border, in Punjab, the menace is rising due to the use of drones.

It is a two-pronged strategy that the ISI has adopted when it comes to fake Indian currency. On one hand, it wants to hurt the Indian economy, and on the other, the intention is to raise funds for terror groups in Pakistan, an official said. The problem is, however, higher along the India-Bangladesh border when compared to Punjab, an official said.

Agencies such as the National Investigation Agency (NIA, which is at the forefront of battling this problem, have also been probing cases within the country. The NIA is not only trying to stop the menace at the border, but is also probing several cases within West Bengal. The area of focus in the state has remained Malda, where scores of units that print fake currency have come up.

An Intelligence Bureau official said the ISI would eventually move to using drones to drop off fake currency. Almost all attempts that have been made to drop fake Indian currency using drones have been foiled so far.

The official, however, added that it is not the time to remain complicit, as these attempts may be just dry runs. These elements are trying to study the security apparatus and hence are undertaking dry runs.

Fake currency that has been coming in is in lower quantities. Once they are able to dodge the security mechanism, these elements would look to push in fake currency using drones in much larger numbers, the official further added.

Another official said the main focus would first be to shut down fake currency printing units in West Bengal. Once the Malda module is shut down, it would solve a large part of the problem.

The focus could then shift to the borders through which fake currency is being smuggled into the country, the official added. Officials say that the ISI is aware that the main focus would be on the couriers who carry the fake currency. (IANS)

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