Four arrested in Pune over fake Rs 500 notes; 1,128 counterfeits and printing gear seized

Police in Pune have arrested four men and seized 1,128 counterfeit Rs 500 notes, with a face value of Rs 5.64 lakh, in a case that they say covers both the making and the passing of fake currency. Printing equipment was also recovered. The case is being handled by Vishrambaug police.

The arrested are Salman Zainuddin Raje (30), from Ambegaon in Kedgaon, Daund taluka, Pune district; Shafaz Feroz Ansari (30), from Nalasopara; Vishal Vilas Galande (37), from Surupkhan Wadi in Man taluka, Satara district; and Abhijeet Raosaheb Kamble (30), from Shirol taluka, Kolhapur district.

The trail began with a tip. Police constables Sachin Ahiwale and Shailesh Surve learnt that a man was moving about near Mahatma Phule Mandai carrying fake notes. They told police sub-inspector Satyavan Gend and senior police inspector Navnath Jagtap, who sent out a team. Police laid a trap on the inner road behind the Mandai in Shukrawar Peth, opposite the Mhasoba temple.

At about 4.45 pm on October 14, the team detained Raje. Police say 805 fake Rs 500 notes, together worth Rs 4,02,500, were recovered from him. Constable Ahiwale then filed a complaint on behalf of the government, and a case was registered under Sections 180, 178, 179, 181 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Raje named three more people as part of the racket when questioned. With the permission of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 1) Krishikesh Rawale, and under the guidance of senior PI Jagtap, teams travelled to Satara and Kolhapur to look for them. With help from the local police there, Ansari, Galande and Kamble were taken into custody.

From Ansari's home, police seized a further 323 fake Rs 500 notes, valued at Rs 1,61,500. They also found material allegedly used to make the notes, including an Epson printer, an HP monitor, a Lenovo wireless keyboard and mouse, a Zebra CPU and an Artis device. The equipment is valued at about Rs 21,100.

The 805 notes from Raje and the 323 from Ansari bring the total to 1,128 notes. Besides Jagtap and the two constables who got the tip, constables Sachin Kadam and Kailas Dukre were part of the team that carried out the operation.

Police are now examining the part each accused played and how far the network extends. Jagtap said, "The accused are currently in judicial custody. We are investigating how the fake notes were made and whether they were circulated in the market or supplied to others."

The challenge for investigators is to trace the whole chain, from where the notes were printed to how they were distributed, and to establish how many more were produced.