Multiple central agencies, including the National Investigation Agency (NIA), launched raids on 11 premises in Bihar’s Madhubani district on Thursday as part of an operation against an alleged syndicate involved in counterfeit currency and narcotics smuggling.
Mobile internet services have been suspended in the area for security reasons, with a mobile tower-dumping vehicle installed at the site. Action against the syndicate has intensified over the past one and a half months. After her arrest, the case was handed over to the NIA. Several local businessmen associated with the Hira have been put on the NIA radar.
The raided premises were associated with 60-year-old Hira Mahaseth, popularly known as Chachi, and her husband, Bharat Mahaseth, at Basopatti and Jaynagar police stations. All 11 locations, including the main grocery store and warehouses, were sealed at Duhabi Bazar on the India-Nepal border during the search operation in the presence of local police and district administration officials. Hira alias Chachi was arrested on September 14 on charges of smuggling FICN, liquor and narcotics, while her husband Bharat Mahaseth was earlier arrested by a joint team of STF and SSB on August 22 with counterfeit currency notes. An NIA team had searched her residence around 20 days ago.
Officials aware of the matter said these places were sealed following the court’s order. Hira is a key figure in a network involved in trafficking counterfeit notes and narcotic substances, with links extending from Madhubani to Kathmandu in Nepal, according to Madhubani police. Police said Hira’s associates, Krishna Thakur and Vinod Sahani of Basopatti, were working for her syndicate with the connivance of the local police.
The raids began around 5am on Thursday with assistance from district police and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) personnel, while investigators examined documents and other evidence related to Mahaseth’s properties.
