India News : By day, one delivered food, another drove passengers on a bike and the third worked as an auto-rickshaw driver. Their lives appeared ordinary, but according to police, the three were allegedly involved in printing counterfeit currency and attempting to circulate it in the market. A joint operation by Hyderabad police has now uncovered the alleged network.
The Hyderabad Commissioner’s Task Force of the Shamshabad Zone and Balapur Police jointly arrested three people for allegedly printing and circulating fake currency. Police recovered 1,124 counterfeit notes with a total face value of ₹2,91,100 from their possession. The seized notes were in denominations of ₹500, ₹200 and ₹100.
According to police, the accused did not learn the technique from an established criminal network. Instead, they allegedly watched videos on YouTube and Instagram to learn how counterfeit notes could be prepared. They subsequently arranged a printer, scanner, paper and other materials to make the notes.
One alleged associate is still absconding and police are searching for him.
Who Are the Arrested Accused?
Police identified the arrested suspects as Ramawat Ramu alias Mohammad (36), Ramawat Motilal (35) and Ramawat Gandhi (19). All three are reportedly residents of Chintal Thanda, Vaddipatla, Telangana.
According to police, Ramu worked as a Zomato delivery worker, Motilal was a Rapido driver and Gandhi drove an auto-rickshaw. Investigators allege that alongside their regular jobs, they were attempting to manufacture counterfeit notes and circulate them in the market.
Police have also named Sudhir John Chella alias Vamshi as an alleged associate. He remains absconding.
Internet Videos Allegedly Led to Counterfeit Currency
According to police, Ramu was facing financial difficulties following problems in his family life. During this period, he met his relative Motilal, and investigators allege that the two subsequently chose an illegal way to make money.
Police said the two began searching the internet for videos related to making counterfeit currency. Motilal allegedly found information about producing fake notes on Instagram and YouTube.
Police said he subsequently contacted a person through a mobile number mentioned in one of the videos. Based on the alleged instructions received, preparations to produce counterfeit notes began.
Investigators are now examining who was behind the contact details found in the video and whether anyone else was involved in the alleged network besides the three arrested suspects.
Printer, Scanner and Watermark Paper Seized
Police said the accused purchased an Epson colour printer, colour scanner, bond paper and other materials to produce the counterfeit notes. They allegedly tried to replicate genuine currency by examining original notes.
Investigators claimed that the accused attempted to reproduce some security features to make the counterfeit notes appear genuine. These allegedly included features such as the watermark and images of Mahatma Gandhi.
Police said equipment was also being used to cut, laminate and pack the counterfeit notes. During the raid, officers allegedly seized a printer, scanner, laminator, paper cutter, coloured liquids, bundles of paper, printed images of Mahatma Gandhi and watermark paper.
Fake Notes Allegedly Circulated Through Small Transactions
According to police, producing the counterfeit notes was only one part of the alleged operation. The suspects also needed to circulate them in the market.
Investigators found that the accused allegedly tried to introduce the fake notes into circulation in small quantities. Police said liquor shops and vegetable markets were allegedly used for this purpose.
The suspects reportedly preferred nighttime transactions. Police believe the accused may have considered crowded conditions and frequent transactions at night more suitable for avoiding detection of the counterfeit notes.
According to police, Gandhi was also allegedly used in attempts to circulate the fake currency on a larger scale.
Mobile Phones and Motorcycle Also Seized
The police operation recovered not only finished counterfeit notes but also the alleged setup used to produce them.
According to police, the seized items included an Epson L6460 colour printer, Epson colour scanner, laminator, paper cutter, coloured liquids, bundles of paper, printed images of Mahatma Gandhi, watermark paper and packing material.
Police also seized the accused persons’ mobile phones and a motorcycle.
Investigators are examining the seized material and electronic devices to determine how long the alleged counterfeit currency operation had been running and how much fake currency may have been circulated in the market.
