Interstate fake currency racket busted; youth gang arrested, ₹7 lakh seized

Chandigarh Police has claimed a major breakthrough after busting an interstate counterfeit currency racket operating across five states, arresting five persons and seizing fake currency notes worth over ₹7 lakh, along with sophisticated printing equipment.

Police said the network was active in Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir, and relied heavily on social media platforms such as Instagram and encrypted messaging app Telegram to manufacture, market and circulate fake currency.

Among those arrested is a final-year BBA student, highlighting the involvement of educated youth in organised financial crime. The accused have been identified as Avinash Kumar of Jammu & Kashmir, Satyam Vishwakarma of Delhi, Sandeep of Haryana, and Abdulla and Shahzad from Uttar Pradesh. All are aged between 20 and 27.

According to police, a tip-off on December 19 led them to Avinash Kumar, who was wanted by the Rajasthan Police and was staying at a paying guest accommodation in Kajheri village, Sector 52. Swift searches at multiple PGs and hotels resulted in his arrest, along with that of his associate Satyam Vishwakarma. Counterfeit currency sheets and fake notes of ₹500, ₹200 and ₹50 denominations were recovered from Avinash’s bag.

A subsequent search of their room yielded counterfeit currency worth ₹1.01 lakh, stamping foils and other printing material. The following day, based on disclosures made during interrogation, police searched a white Brezza car parked nearby and recovered additional fake notes worth ₹4.76 lakh.

Further raids led to the arrest of the remaining three accused — Sandeep, Abdulla and Shahzad — completing the crackdown on the gang.

Police said the racket used printers, laptops, tablets, specializd ink and paper to manufacture fake notes. The accused connected with buyers through Instagram and Telegram, sharing images and videos of counterfeit currency to lure customers. Fake notes were typically sold at a ratio of 1:4 — ₹4 lakh in counterfeit currency for ₹1 lakh in genuine notes — though the rate was often negotiated.

Investigators revealed that the counterfeit notes were transported via courier services or delivered in person. Buyers would either resell the notes at lower rates or mix them with genuine currency bundles to evade detection, thereby pushing fake currency into circulation.

Police said further investigations are underway to identify additional links and beneficiaries of the racket operating across northern India.