Fake Currency Crackdown: Police Nab Gangs in Pandesara and Chandigarh in Separate Raids
In two separate operations, police in Surat’s Pandesara and Chandigarh busted fake currency networks, arresting six people and seizing counterfeit notes worth several lakhs. Both cases highlight how social media and home printers are being misused to print and circulate Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) across different states.
📰 News 1: Three Arrested in Pandesara for Printing Fake Notes at Home
The Surat Police on Friday arrested three individuals for allegedly running a small fake currency operation in Pandesara. The accused have been identified as Narayan Prajapati (22), his brother Dinesh (18), and Mularam (22), Narayan’s brother-in-law.
Police recovered 12 freshly printed notes from their possession, including Rs 500, Rs 200, and Rs 100 denominations. Along with the fake currency, officers also seized a colour scanner, printer, mobile phones, paper, and stationery worth around Rs 40,000.
According to investigators, the trio learned the entire process of printing fake notes through an Instagram video and practiced multiple times before circulating the counterfeit money. The scam was exposed after a vigilant individual noticed three notes with the same serial number and informed the police.
Officials suspect that the group had already sent fake notes worth ₹15,000 to Rajasthan. The accused were operating out of a mobile shop in Pandesara, where Mularam had set up the printing unit in a backroom.
Police believe the group’s motive was to make quick money, but their plan was foiled before large-scale distribution. The trio has been remanded to three days of police custody for further investigation.
📰 News 2: Chandigarh Police Bust Multi-State Fake Currency Syndicate
In a breakthrough, the Chandigarh Police Crime Branch dismantled a multi-state fake currency racket, arresting three key accused and seizing counterfeit notes worth ₹24.27 lakh. The bust also led to the recovery of two vehicles, printers, ink bottles, cutters, and security-thread bond papers resembling those used by the Reserve Bank of India.
The investigation revealed that the network operated across Chandigarh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Jammu & Kashmir — indicating a vast inter-state operation.
🔍 How the Operation Unfolded
Acting on a tip-off from a Central agency on September 25, police set a trap near Shishu Niketan School, Sector 22, Chandigarh, leading to the arrest of Gaurav Kumar alias Ranjit and Vikram Meena alias Vicky. Officers seized 7,157 fake notes, mostly Rs 500 denominations, amounting to over ₹10 lakh from their vehicles.
Based on their interrogation, the team raided multiple locations in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, uncovering even more counterfeit notes. The probe later led to Rajasthan, where the alleged mastermind, Jitendra Sharma (42), was arrested from Jhalrapatan in Jhalawar district. A search of his rented home yielded ₹12.20 lakh in fake notes, high-end printing equipment, and bond paper embedded with fake ‘RBI Bharat’ threads.
💻 The Digital Modus Operandi
Investigations found that the gang initially circulated counterfeit notes face-to-face, but later expanded their reach via social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram. They lured buyers by sharing photos and videos of the fake notes and sold them at a 1:3 exchange ratio — offering ₹3 lakh worth of fake notes for ₹1 lakh in real money.
Deliveries were made through couriers or personal handovers, with many buyers mixing fake notes into real bundles to avoid detection. The racket had ties to other states, including Maharashtra and Jammu & Kashmir, where linked arrests were made.
🚨 Ongoing Investigation
According to SSP (Crime) Jasbir Singh, the investigation is still underway, with plans to bring more accused from other states on remand. The aim is to trace the entire supply chain and completely dismantle the syndicate.
⚖️ A Rising Concern
Both the Pandesara and Chandigarh cases reveal a growing trend — the use of basic printers, social media tutorials, and encrypted apps to produce and distribute fake money. Authorities warn that such activities not only damage the economy but also threaten public trust in physical currency.
As police continue to tighten surveillance and track digital channels, these recent busts serve as a reminder that even small-scale online crimes can have nationwide consequences.
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