Motihari, Sept. 10: Sharda Shankar Kushwaha, one of the main operators of fake currency notes in India, was arrested from Pantoka police station area of Raxual on India-Nepal border in East Champaran district today.

East Champaran superintendent of police Sudhir Kumar Singh said Kushwaha, a native of Chuthan in Bara district of Nepal, was evading arrest in connection with a case lodged with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) police station in Delhi.

Acting on a tip off, SP Singh said a joint team of the NIA and the East Champaran police conducted a raid at his hideout under the jurisdiction of Haraiya police outpost at Raxaul and nabbed Kushwaha, who had escaped from Delhi after the NIA had seized fake currency notes with a face value of Rs 50 lakh early this year. The fake currency notes were pumped into India from Dubai, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia through Nepal.

The SP said seven persons hailing from Motihari were associated with the fake currency racket. The handlers were monitoring the operation from Pakistan. “We hope to arrest other members of the gang shortly,” Singh said.

Rebels held

Eleven Maoists were arrested from Khagaria district, around 200km east of Patna, and seized four firearms and ammunition from them.

Police officers said the operation was led by Khagaria superintendent of police Kim on the basis of intelligence inputs and the Maoists were nabbed from the Samasya riverine area. “Police personnel went to the riverine area on boats and then arrived on an island. The armed rebels were staying there and were surrounded and asked to surrender,” said Morkahi SHO Lallan Kumar.