Fake currency smuggler Iltaf Ansari caught
KATHMANDU, July 11:
Iltaf Hussein Ansari, a notorious criminal known for his involvement in smuggling of fake Indian currency notes for well over a decade was finally nabbed at Kalimati in the capital by a special team of sleuths picked from the Nepal Police headquarters late last week.
Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) chief Rajendra Singh Bhandari described Iltaf´s arrest as the completion of a decade-long mission by Nepal Police. "He is perhaps the cleverest criminal ever seen in the smuggling arena here, he said.
Many a time we rushed to his hide-outs in the past but every time the villagers helped him escape beforehand. Even cops were found hand in glove with his group," said policemen involved in the operation that led to his arrest.
Iltaf has been a friend-turned-rival of Yunus Ansari who was put behind the bars in January 2010 following seizure of fake Indian notes and brown sugar allegedly belonging to him. After the arrest of Yunus, Iltaf is considered to have operated the entire smuggling racket almost single-handedly until his arrest last week.
Police sources said, the 28-year-old Iltaf has an unassuming personality and is generally benevolent whether at his birthplace Prastuka VDC in Bara district or in the capital city Kathmandu. But his stature as a smuggler of fake notes kept growing in the last few years and more so after the arrest of Yunus. Yunus was in the news some months ago when he was shot at by an Indian contract killer at the Central Jail.
Another spectacular side of his persona as an underground criminal is that he would even tip off police and the authorities concerned about the movements of his rival smuggling gangs so as to make sure his sway in the smuggling arena. "He succeeded to weaken or finish off his rivals and also compelled international smugglers to depend on him," said officials.
According to investigating officials, Iltaf dominated the fake currency smuggling for the whole last decade and is also believed to have operated an illegal arms trading racket across the Indo-Nepal border.
Iltaf has been alleged to have masterminded the murder of one Balaram Putuwar, one of his gang members, four years ago in the capital on account of his personal rift with the latter. Besides the Putuwar murder, there are two separate fake currency smuggling cases of recent years lodged against him in Kathmandu and Lalitpur.
India has been putting forth the fake Indian currency smuggling as one of its most important trans-border issues with Nepal. Accordingly, Nepal has banned the circulation and possession of Indian currency notes in denomination of IRs 500 and 1000. Despite that, the volume of smuggling in fake Indian currency via Nepal has been steady.
Iltaf has reportedly been involved in currency smuggling since his teenage years and kept progressing in the illegal business dramatically. He was initially a close aide of Yunus but he parted his ways with him a few years ago. He is said to have made an awful lot of properties and owns houses in Jeetpur of Bara, Birgunj, Narayanghat and Kathmandu. His image in the Bara district is more of a philanthroper who donates money to local mosques and needy people.
Iltaf has a couple of nick names in the criminal world. He was pinned down as one Munna in the Putuwar murder. Lal Mahomed, the criminal who shot dead Putuwar as per Iltaf´s instruction, is now in the Birgunj jail.
Police have found few fake documents including a driving license. "We are investigating his travel details which should reveal his links with the international smugglers," said CIB officials.
Source: Republica
Iltaf Hussein Ansari, a notorious criminal known for his involvement in smuggling of fake Indian currency notes for well over a decade was finally nabbed at Kalimati in the capital by a special team of sleuths picked from the Nepal Police headquarters late last week.
Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) chief Rajendra Singh Bhandari described Iltaf´s arrest as the completion of a decade-long mission by Nepal Police. "He is perhaps the cleverest criminal ever seen in the smuggling arena here, he said.
Many a time we rushed to his hide-outs in the past but every time the villagers helped him escape beforehand. Even cops were found hand in glove with his group," said policemen involved in the operation that led to his arrest.
Iltaf has been a friend-turned-rival of Yunus Ansari who was put behind the bars in January 2010 following seizure of fake Indian notes and brown sugar allegedly belonging to him. After the arrest of Yunus, Iltaf is considered to have operated the entire smuggling racket almost single-handedly until his arrest last week.
Police sources said, the 28-year-old Iltaf has an unassuming personality and is generally benevolent whether at his birthplace Prastuka VDC in Bara district or in the capital city Kathmandu. But his stature as a smuggler of fake notes kept growing in the last few years and more so after the arrest of Yunus. Yunus was in the news some months ago when he was shot at by an Indian contract killer at the Central Jail.
Another spectacular side of his persona as an underground criminal is that he would even tip off police and the authorities concerned about the movements of his rival smuggling gangs so as to make sure his sway in the smuggling arena. "He succeeded to weaken or finish off his rivals and also compelled international smugglers to depend on him," said officials.
According to investigating officials, Iltaf dominated the fake currency smuggling for the whole last decade and is also believed to have operated an illegal arms trading racket across the Indo-Nepal border.
Iltaf has been alleged to have masterminded the murder of one Balaram Putuwar, one of his gang members, four years ago in the capital on account of his personal rift with the latter. Besides the Putuwar murder, there are two separate fake currency smuggling cases of recent years lodged against him in Kathmandu and Lalitpur.
India has been putting forth the fake Indian currency smuggling as one of its most important trans-border issues with Nepal. Accordingly, Nepal has banned the circulation and possession of Indian currency notes in denomination of IRs 500 and 1000. Despite that, the volume of smuggling in fake Indian currency via Nepal has been steady.
Iltaf has reportedly been involved in currency smuggling since his teenage years and kept progressing in the illegal business dramatically. He was initially a close aide of Yunus but he parted his ways with him a few years ago. He is said to have made an awful lot of properties and owns houses in Jeetpur of Bara, Birgunj, Narayanghat and Kathmandu. His image in the Bara district is more of a philanthroper who donates money to local mosques and needy people.
Iltaf has a couple of nick names in the criminal world. He was pinned down as one Munna in the Putuwar murder. Lal Mahomed, the criminal who shot dead Putuwar as per Iltaf´s instruction, is now in the Birgunj jail.
Police have found few fake documents including a driving license. "We are investigating his travel details which should reveal his links with the international smugglers," said CIB officials.
Source: Republica
