Police busted fake currency printing racket, 6 people including engineer arrested

Pune: Pimpri-Chinchwad police in Pune busted a racket printing fake Indian Rs 500 notes on Chinese paper ordered online. Officials said on Wednesday that six people, including an engineer, were also arrested. According to media reports, Dehu Road police station under the jurisdiction of Pimpri-Chinchwad police in Pune conducted the operation for the arrest. A team led by senior police inspector Nitin Phatangre seized 440 fake notes of Rs 500, 4,700 partially printed currency notes, 4,484 printed and 1,000 sheets of Chinese-made currency paper, a printing machine, laptops, paper cutting machines and others. Goods confiscated.
The police team carried out the action on the basis of secret information. It was reported that IT engineer Hrithik Khadse (22) has started printing business with some of his friends. He had purchased an old printing machine from Appa Balwant Chowk area. Started its own printing unit in Dighi to publish pamphlets, handbills and other publicity materials. His business went into loss due to not getting enough orders. After this, one of the main accused, 41-year-old Suraj Yadav (who is a driver) suggested the idea of printing fake Indian currency notes to earn easy money. Suraj Yadav claimed to know the art of designing notes. The paper was ordered from a Chinese e-commerce portal. They printed 140 notes of Rs 500 denomination with water-mark, thread and other security features on a trial basis.
He secured an order of Rs 40,000 for printing 200 such fake notes of face value of Rs 1 lakh. When Yadav tried to give 140 fake notes to some customers at Mukai Chowk, he was caught red-handed. Others arrested for the fraud include Pranav Gavanhe (31), Akash Dhangekar (22), Tejas Ballal (19) and Suraj Salunkhe (32), officials said. All six accused have been sent to police custody for a week. According to the report, the police is investigating how far the network of the racket is spread.