Free Press view
Some time back, the attempt to sell a million (US) dollar note had created a buzz. The cop team had shown its prowess to nab the persons involved in a quick run action at a dhaba. The cops have to unearth the reason why time and again persons are being arrested in connection with trying to sell US dollars. Is there a “syndicate” of sorts that is handling the whole process? Or these are stray incidents? It must also be taken seriously that the owner of $19600 was rather “carelessly” travelling with the US currency and was a “soft target”. Why didn’t he deposit the money to a bank etc and conduct e-transaction and instead almost “laid a trap” for the thieves/racketeers to lift the bundles of fortune.
Indore: If some time back, few men were caught for their bid to sell a US 1 million dollar note… sample this… .
The Special Task Force arrested a government primary teacher and his wife while they were coming to the city to sell stolen US dollars on Sunday. $ 19600 (INR 14.3 lakh) was seized from the couple and the further investigation is underway. The couple had stolen US dollar from a man, who was returning home from Mumbai in a bus in 2019.
On the instruction from the senior officials, a team led by STF inspector MA Syed was working to collect information about people possessing foreign currency illegally and selling them. On Saturday, Inspector Syed received information that a couple was coming to the city to sell foreign currency illegally to someone in Rahul Gandhi Nagar on Ring Road.
Police action
After the information, the STF team reached the “designated” mentioned place and detained a couple on a bike. They introduced themselves as Mohammad Rafik Khan (49), a resident of Umarban village in Manawar Tehsil in Dhar district and his wife Khurshid Bi.
The STF officials recovered two packs of US dollar notes (one pack of 100 notes and another pack of 96 notes) from Khurshid. The INR value of the notes is Rs 14.30 lakh. Their bike was also seized by the police and the accused were arrested from there.
Inspector Syed said that the help of Indore police control room was taken to know about the complaint of US dollar stealing case when they informed that a case of US dollar stealing was registered by Kishanganj police on the complaint of a person named Maksood from Mhow. Maksood was returning from Mumbai in a bus when his two packs of dollars were stolen by someone in the bus. He alighted near Rau Circle when he came to know about the theft and he lodged a complaint with Kishanganj police station staff.
STF officials believed that the couple was associated with an organized crime gang. However, further investigation and verification is being done to know the role of the accused in the crime. Also, the other persons indulged in the crime are also being searched.
Mohammad Rafik Khan is a government primary teacher in Umarban village. His record is being fetched from the local police station and his department.
