Delhi Police has uncovered a major interstate counterfeit currency syndicate operating across several states. A specialized team from the Gandhi Nagar police station in the Shahdara district tracked down the network, which ran operations spanning Delhi, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal. Investigators took two primary suspects into custody and seized 187 counterfeit notes of Rs 500 denomination, carrying a total face value of Rs 93,500.
Cash Deposit Triggers Police Investigation
The unraveling of the counterfeit ring began with a routine transaction at a commercial bank branch. A local merchant from the Gandhi Nagar trading hub deposited Rs 90,000 in cash into his account. During the standard verification and counting process, bank officials discovered that 18 notes of Rs 500 denomination, worth Rs 9,000 in total, were counterfeit. The branch management promptly raised an alert, prompting the Gandhi Nagar police station to register a formal FIR and initiate a technical probe.
Law enforcement officials reviewed local CCTV surveillance footage across the commercial area to retrace the movement of the notes. This led to the arrest of a suspect identified as Mohammad Danish. Questioning revealed that Danish circulated fake currency by making small-ticket purchases at neighbourhood retail shops, ensuring he handed over counterfeit Rs 500 bills to collect genuine currency in return as change.
Jharkhand Link Leads to Raid in Bodh Gaya
During custodial interrogation, Danish disclosed that the counterfeit consignment had been supplied to him from Chatra in Jharkhand. Acting on the operational intelligence, a dedicated Delhi Police team travelled to Bodh Gaya in Bihar. Working alongside the local police, officers executed a targeted raid and apprehended the second key suspect in the syndicate, Meraj alias Guddu.
A thorough search of Meraj's bag led to the recovery of 169 counterfeit notes of Rs 500 denomination, having an aggregate face value of Rs 84,500. Verification of police records further established that Meraj had a documented past criminal record involving unlawful activities.
Network Traced to Kalia Chowk in Malda
Sustained interrogation of the arrested suspects indicated that the counterfeit supply chain led back to Kalia Chowk in the Malda district of West Bengal, an area historically known as a transit point for counterfeit currency smuggling. The accused individuals named two main suppliers within the distribution chain, identified by the aliases 'Mama alias Chhotu' and 'Bhaiya Ji'.
Investigators seized mobile phones and various retail purchase receipts from the possession of both suspects. Police teams are currently examining digital records and transaction slips to pinpoint the exact printing press where the counterfeit notes are manufactured, as well as to identify other active associates involved in the interstate racket.
