In a significant crackdown on counterfeit currency operations, the Ujjain police have busted a sophisticated fake currency printing and smuggling racket, arresting two individuals and seizing counterfeit notes with a face value of Rs 17.50 lakh. The operation also led to the discovery of a printing unit in Indore, exposing inter-city links in the illegal trade.
Coordinated Police Operation Nabs Suspects
Acting on a specific tip-off received on Friday, a joint team from the Chimanganj police station and the crime branch cordoned off an area near Rajroyal Colony and the Pandyakhedi Bridge railway tracks. The informant had indicated that two persons were arriving in Ujjain to deliver a large consignment of fake Indian currency notes (FICN).
During the checking operation, police personnel spotted two suspicious-looking men under the Pandyakhedi bridge. The suspects attempted to flee upon seeing the police but were swiftly apprehended. A search of their possessions yielded a massive haul of counterfeit notes. From one accused, police recovered 22 bundles of Rs 500 denomination notes, with a total face value of Rs 11 lakh. The other was found carrying 13 bundles, worth Rs 6.50 lakh.
Upon preliminary examination, the notes were found to have forged security features, including a fake security thread, micro-print, and the green ink security pattern designed to mimic genuine currency.
Inter-City Racket and Indore Printing Unit Exposed
Ujjain Superintendent of Police Pradeep Sharma, addressing mediapersons on Friday, stated that the bust had exposed a fake currency smuggling network with connections between Ujjain and Indore. During interrogation, the arrested men confessed to their involvement.
The accused revealed they were printing the fake notes with an associate named Rajesh, who is currently absconding. Their operation was run from a rented flat in Shri Ganga Vihar Colony, located opposite Aurbindo Hospital in Indore. In a startling revelation, they disclosed the racket's exchange rate: they would provide fake notes with a face value of Rs 10 lakh in return for just Rs 1 lakh in genuine currency.
Based on this crucial information, police teams raided the Indore flat. The raid proved highly successful, leading to the seizure of a note printing machine, high-security print paper, various printing chemicals, security thread, a cutter machine, and multiple printed and partially printed sheets of counterfeit currency.
The arrested individuals were identified as Himanshu alias Chinu Gausar (26), a resident of Railway Colony, Gaughat, Ujjain, and Deepesh Chauhan (22), from Shivganga City, Ujjain. A case has been registered against them under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Separate Counterfeit Racket Busted in Neemuch
In a related development highlighting the spread of such crimes, police in Neemuch unearthed another counterfeit currency racket on Friday afternoon. Acting on a tip-off received by Sub Inspector Laxman Singh Rathore on Thursday, a team led by City police station in-charge Pushpa Singh Chauhan, with cyber cell support, set up a checkpoint.
They apprehended a man identified as Ishwar Kharol, a resident of Sarjana, who was allegedly on his way to circulate forged notes in the market. Police seized counterfeit notes with a face value of Rs 50,000 in Rs 500 denominations from his possession.
During questioning, Ishwar admitted that he and his associate, Sunil (also from Sarjana), had been printing the fake notes at home. Investigators stated that Sunil was the main operator, managing both production and distribution. Search teams are conducting raids to track him down.
The police investigation revealed that the duo had successfully passed two fake Rs 500 notes at a petrol pump two days prior. Emboldened by this initial success and the lack of immediate detection, they had begun printing more notes to circulate.
These twin busts in Ujjain and Neemuch underscore the persistent challenge of counterfeit currency in the region and the proactive efforts of Madhya Pradesh police to dismantle the networks behind this financial crime.
