In a significant operation, the Vansda police of Navsari detained five individuals, including a serving police constable from Surat district, for circulating counterfeit currency notes. The arrest, inspired by a popular dialogue from a web series on the fake stamp paper scandal - "Looking at these people it seems as if money is not earned" - highlights the brazenness of the crime.
Acting on a tip-off, the Vansda police were informed of suspects traveling from Surat to Anawal with Rs 500 notes in two four-wheelers, heading from Bhinar to Vansda. Preempting their route, the police established blockades on three roads leading to Bhinar. Intercepting the mentioned vehicles, they retrieved 2994 counterfeit notes of Rs 500 denomination from the accused.
The individuals arrested are:
- Janice Jagdishbhai Patel of Bardoli,
- Prakash Gulabbhai Kamli of Bardoli,
- Shravan Kumar Fuljibhai Patel of Bardoli,
- Rahul Rameshchandra Sharma of Surat,
- Yogesh Yuvrajbhai Samudre (Police Constable) of Saroli village, Surat.
The modus operandi of the racket involved first showing genuine notes to potential customers for verification, thereby building trust. Subsequently, they would offer 5 lakh genuine notes in exchange for 15 lakh counterfeit ones. To evade detection, they'd position real notes at the top of their stash. The involvement of Yogesh Yuvraj Samudre, a police constable stationed at the Surat headquarters and currently serving as an armed security guard for a witness in the Asaram case, adds another layer to the intrigue.
Initial investigations suggest that the accused either sourced duplicate notes online or had them printed. Further details are expected to emerge during the remand period.
