New Delhi, May 19 (IANS): Pakistan’s ISI and its operatives are making a massive push to flood Indian markets with fake currency through a two-pronged strategy involving couriers along the Tripura-Bangladesh border and drones in Punjab, with Indian agencies raising the alarm over the growing threat, officials said. The ISI’s dual objective is to hurt the Indian economy while simultaneously raising funds for terror groups operating out of Pakistan, with the problem being more acute along the India-Bangladesh border compared to Punjab. The National Investigation Agency, which is at the forefront of battling this menace, has been probing several cases within West Bengal, with a key focus on Malda, where scores of fake currency printing units have emerged. Officials say that almost all attempts to drop fake Indian currency using drones have been foiled so far, but warn that these could merely be dry runs aimed at studying India’s security apparatus before a larger operation is launched.
Intelligence Bureau officials warned that once ISI-backed elements are able to dodge the security mechanism, they would push fake currency through drones in much larger numbers, with multiple drones deployed at regular intervals carrying smaller payloads specifically designed to evade radar and surveillance systems. The challenge for security agencies would be immense, as smaller payloads of fake currency are significantly harder to detect compared to drugs, arms, and ammunition that border forces have previously been successful in tracking. Officials said the immediate priority is to shut down fake currency printing units in Malda, which would solve a large part of the problem, after which the focus would shift to sealing the border routes used for smuggling. The ISI has long used the Dawood Ibrahim syndicate to push fake currency into India with the clear intention of economic sabotage, while also channelling the proceeds to fund terror groups, officials added.