A coordinated police operation in Bihar's East Champaran district has cracked down on an interstate racket engaged in currency manipulation and counterfeit note transactions. During a targeted vehicle inspection at Manikpur Chowk under the Harsiddhi police station jurisdiction, law enforcement personnel detained an individual attempting to flee with a massive stash of unexplained cash. The recovered amount totalled Rs 19,98,500. Officials identified the suspect as Rohit Kumar Shahi, aged 35, a resident of the Barhalganj police station area in Gorakhpur district, Uttar Pradesh. A thorough digital analysis of his confiscated smartphone exposed incriminating videos and chat logs linked to illicit currency trading. The subsequent expansion of the probe led search parties to neighbouring Bettiah, where 10 live cartridges were seized from a suspect's residence.
Vehicle Interception at Manikpur Chowk and Cash Recovery
Areraj Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Pankaj Kumar Mishra stated that the Dial-112 emergency response network initially received specific intelligence about suspicious vehicle movements. The input indicated that a Fortuner bearing an Uttar Pradesh registration plate and a Nexon following closely behind were transporting suspects from Motihari toward Areraj. Following these inputs, Superintendent of Police Swarn Prabhat issued immediate operational orders. Under the leadership of the DSP, Harsiddhi police teams deployed barriers and initiated rigorous inspections across key intersections.
As police officers set up checks at Manikpur Chowk, the speeding Fortuner managed to evade the barrier and sped away. However, officers successfully intercepted the following Nexon car. Sensing capture, an occupant stepped out of the vehicle and attempted to escape on foot while carrying a heavy bag. Alert police personnel gave chase and apprehended him on the spot, though the remaining occupants inside the Nexon managed to flee in the vehicle. A physical search of the suspect's bag revealed 40 bundles containing 500-rupee currency notes. In total, the bag held 3,997 individual currency notes amounting to Rs 19,98,500. When questioned about the origins and intended destination of this sizable cash deposit, the detained individual failed to provide coherent answers. Investigators noted that he repeatedly altered his statements and could not present any legitimate documentation to account for the funds.
Incriminating Chats and Duplicate Serial Numbers Uncovered
SDPO Pankaj Mishra revealed that investigators scrutinized the suspect's mobile handset to uncover operational ties. The examination uncovered suspicious message exchanges regarding counterfeit currency transactions with a contact named Sonu Singh, who was travelling in the escaping Fortuner. Crucially, digital extraction from the smartphone's recycle bin retrieved photographs displaying five different currency notes carrying the exact same serial number. Several video clips demonstrating counterfeit currency were also stored in the device. Under interrogation, the detained suspect stated that the individuals in both the Fortuner and Nexon vehicles belonged to Gorakhpur and were running a counterfeit currency trade centered around Bettiah. Police departments are actively corroborating these claims against forensic evidence.
Raids in Bettiah Yield Live Cartridges and Prior Record Links
Acting on the intelligence extracted from the detained individual, law enforcement units carried out simultaneous raids across multiple addresses in Motihari and Bettiah. During a search conducted at the residence of Ashok Mishra, situated in Belwa within the Banuchhapar police station limits of West Champaran district, officers recovered 10 live cartridges of.350 bore. A formal First Information Report has been registered at the Banuchhapar police station regarding the ammunition seizure. Police background checks revealed that Ashok Mishra faces around half a dozen prior criminal cases concerning currency manipulation and related illicit operations.
Ongoing Search for Absconding Network Associates
Investigators are now working to dismantle the entire logistical and distribution chain supporting the racket. Active manhunts are underway across the border belt to locate the remaining individuals who fled in the Fortuner and Nexon cars. Police officials confirmed that sustained search operations will continue across identified locations to seize any remaining counterfeit currency stocks and arrest all remaining associates connected to the ring.
