A Delhiite had allegedly travelled to Pakistan to meet a ‘notorious counterfeiter’ Iqbal Kana and procure fake currency, Delhi Police claimed on Friday after seizing counterfeit notes with a face value of Rs2.24 crore and arresting two persons.

Investigators also believe that the seized fake currency was sent by Kana, who is suspected to have close links with ISI, from Pakistan as part of a sustained operation to destabilise the Indian economy.

Police sources said the wrappers seized from the clothes used to conceal fake currency had the names of five companies -- Safari Textiles Mills, Four Star Sidiki Processing Mill, Maharani Collection, Kohinoor Suiting and Usmaan Naiem Fabrics -- based in Pakistan's Faizalabad.

Two persons -- Ash Mohammed and Zeeshan Khan -- were arrested from Dabri on Thursday while they were ferrying the counterfeit notes in two separate tempos, Arun Kampani, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell), said.

"During the process of developing information, it came to light that Ash Mohd is a key associate of Kana. It also came to light that Hassan, a resident of Sitapuri in Dabri, had gone to Pakistan to meet Kana for procuring the consignment of fake currency," Kampani said.

Yesterday, police sources had claimed that they had seized fake currency with a face value of over Rs six crore but a final count had slimmed down the figure to 2.24 crore. Interestingly, drivers, one identified as Mahesh, of the two tempos were also apprehended but were not placed under arrest with police saying that they were being questioned.

Kampani said the police received information two weeks ago that Kana, a resident of UP's Prabudh Nagar who sneaked into Pakistan and is wanted in several cases by CBI and other forces, was planning to pump in large amount of fake currency into India. Incidentally, Mohammed is also from Prabudh Nagar.

Teams were sent to Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and adjoining states to procure more information and it came to light that Mohammad is allegedly an associate of Kana. Yesterday, a Special Cell team managed to track down a tempo overloaded with fake currency bundles entering Sitapuri around noon.

"The tempo stopped just in front of the house of Zeeshan. One person was apprehended by the police team. He was identified as Khan. Upon suspicion, the goods were checked, the tempo was found loaded with 19 bundles containing bales of cloths.”

"Each bundle was containing bales of ladies suits fabric, wrapped around a card-board sheet, with different brand labels suggesting that these were packed somewhere in Pakistan. The card-board sheets of each bale was found heat pressed to avoid detection," Kampani said.

On opening these card-board sheets, Kampani said, a concealed cavity was noticed in which fake currency with a face value of over Rs1.18 crore was recovered. Police interrogated Khan and driver Mahesh while another team was sent towards Karol Bagh to search and trace the other consignment being transported by Mohammed in another tempo.

Mohammed was also apprehended allegedly with 14 bundles of ladies suit fabrics in which the fake currency with a face value of Rs1.06 crore was concealed.

"All the fake notes recovered from the two tempos were very similar in appearance and texture with genuine Indian currency, fine quality of texture paper was used and certain security features inserted, which are not easily detectable," Kampani said.

"Apparently these fake notes were brought into India for circulation after hatching a full-fledged criminal conspiracy by Pakistan-based Kana, Hassan, Mohammad, Zeeshan and several others based in India.”

"All this has been done to destabilize Indian economy and an attempt to wage war against India at the behest of the person suspectedly based in Pakistan," he said.