New Delhi, April 14: Indian agencies have reported a sharp rise in counterfeit currency seizures, pointing to a renewed push by organised networks to expand operations.

Investigators say the syndicate linked to Dawood Ibrahim, operating from Pakistan, is increasingly directing operatives in India to print fake notes locally instead of relying on cross-border smuggling routes through Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The trend points to a deliberate attempt to scale up production, with signs of a coordinated effort to undermine the Indian economy. Recent months have seen multiple seizures in border regions due to tighter security. At the same time, attempts to drop counterfeit currency using drones are being detected and intercepted with increasing frequency.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that the syndicate is now directing its operatives in India to print fake notes locally and circulate them within the market. They have been advised to keep operations small but frequent to maintain overall volume while avoiding attention.

“To reduce the risk of detection, members are also shifting bases regularly, making it difficult for agencies to track and pin down a single location,” the official added.

The route through the Bangladesh border has also become increasingly difficult for smugglers to use. Enhanced security measures have tightened surveillance, making it harder for operatives to push counterfeit currency into India.

Another official said the strategy now is to expand printing across multiple states, including Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Punjab. In the past, the syndicate had set up a localised unit in Malda, West Bengal, where high-quality counterfeit notes were produced and were difficult to detect.

“However, after the unit was uncovered, intensified action by agencies led to a sharp decline in operations,” the official said.

Another official said printing capacity in Malda has dropped by more than half after agencies, including the National Investigation Agency (NIA), intensified investigations and enforcement.

Officials added that efforts are underway to push in raw materials needed to set up fresh units to expand local production. If these consignments reach operatives in India, output could increase again. Even as the focus shifts to domestic printing, attempts to move counterfeit currency across the border using drones are expected to continue.

Last month, the Border Security Force (BSF) and Amritsar Police seized counterfeit currency worth Rs 2.5 lakh, which officials believe may have been a trial run. While drones have been intercepted carrying drugs, arms, and ammunition on several occasions, their use for moving fake currency has emerged as a growing concern.

Agencies said the syndicate is now relying on smaller consignments that are harder to detect on radar and surveillance systems. An official noted that operatives are adopting varied methods to increase the circulation of counterfeit notes.

Even as local production gathers pace, the use of drones is expected to continue. The broader objective, officials said, is to generate funds for terror activities and to inflict economic damage through the sustained circulation of fake currency.

Beijing, April 14: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in China on Tuesday for a two-day official visit to discuss the bilateral cooperation across key sectors, as well as the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia.

Earlier on Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that during his visit to China from April 14-15, the Foreign Minister will hold talks with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.

“The two countries’ foreign ministers will discuss a wide range of bilateral cooperation issues, prospects for contacts at various levels, and international collaboration, with a focus on joint work within the UN, BRICS, SCO, G20, APEC, and other multilateral mechanisms and forums. A detailed exchange of views is expected on a number of hot topics and regional issues, including the Ukrainian crisis and the situation in the Middle East,” it added.

Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a regular press briefing that during this visit, the foreign ministers of the two countries will exchange views and coordinate positions on the development of bilateral ties, cooperation in various fields, and international and regional issues of mutual concern, according to Xinhua news agency.

This also came as Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Monday admitted that the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is likely to impact international markets negatively.

“Most likely, such actions will continue to negatively impact international markets; this can be assumed with a high degree of certainty,” the Kremlin spokesman was quoted as saying by Russia’s leading Tass news agency during a regular media briefing in Moscow.

Responding to another question, he asserted that details on the US blocking of the Strait of Hormuz remain unclear.

“Many details here remain unclear and incomprehensible, so I would refrain from any substantive comments at this time,” Peskov commented on the US threat of blocking the strait.

On Sunday, the United States made it clear that it will begin enforcing a sweeping maritime blockade of vessels entering or exiting Iranian ports from April 13, escalating tensions after high-stakes talks between Washington and Tehran failed to yield agreement on key issues, including Iran’s nuclear programme.

Tehran, April 13: Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said that the only way for the United States to find an exit from the current situation is to make its decision and gain the Iranian nation’s trust.

He made the remarks in an address to reporters on the way back to Iran from his trip to Pakistan, where he, along with his accompanying team, took part in peace talks with the US delegation, Xinhua news agency reported.

“The United States is indebted to Iranian people and needs to work hard to indemnify them,” Qalibaf said.

“If they fight, we will fight; and if they come forth with logic, we will react with logic. We will not surrender to any threat,” the parliament speaker added. “They can test our will once again and we will teach them a greater lesson.”

Qalibaf described the talks with the US delegation in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad as very “intensive, serious and challenging,” saying benefiting from capable experts and with a comprehensive and diverse perspective, Iran’s delegation designed “excellent initiatives” to demonstrate the country’s goodwill, “which led to progress in the negotiations.”

“We announced from the very beginning that we do not trust the Americans. Our wall of distrust dates back to 77 years ago. This comes as in less than 12 months, they attacked us two times in the middle of negotiations. Thus, they are the ones who must earn our trust,” he stressed.

Qalibaf dismissed recent threats by US President Donald Trump against Iran, saying such threats fail to have any impact on Iranian people.

Delegations from Iran and the United States held lengthy negotiations in Islamabad on Saturday and early Sunday. The talks, which failed to lead to an agreement, took place after a ceasefire was announced on Wednesday between Iran, the United States and Israel following 40 days of fighting.