Fake currency still remains a major threat for businessmen, common man in Odisha

The seizure of fake currency notes with a face value of over Rs 41 lakh by the Special Task Force (STF) is not only the tip-of-an-iceberg of a well organised racket, it also speaks volumes of the vulnerability of the common man. The middle-men, who are part of this racket, easily manage to circulate these fake notes among businessmen and other gullible consumers from Sonepur to Balasore.

From markets to daily haats, these middlemen easily circulate the fake currency notes. People in the rural and tribal areas are getting duped by such fraudsters easily. Recently, the Nilagiri Police had arrested two persons after they tried to circulate the fake notes at a liquor shop.

Police later seized fake notes worth over Rs 32,000 from them. Easy penetration of the fake notes has now created fears in the minds of businessmen as well as the common man.

“We do not know how to verify the fake notes. We end up keeping the money on trust from those who buy from us,” said Badal, a local resident.

Nandini, another local resident said, “Many people do not know how to check authenticity of notes for which they are getting cheated.”

Balasore SP, Sagarika Nath said, “Usually such miscreants circulate the fake notes at small shops and markets instead of pushing these notes in big shops.”

Meanwhile, a team of the Crime Branch STF has intensified probe into the seizure of Rs 41 lakh fake notes in Sonepur. Earlier, the STF had arrested one Dipak Meher in connection with the incident.

On Monday, STF team quizzed Meher's family members. The probing agency is trying to ascertain whether fake notes were printed at his location or the source who supplied them.

“Fake notes were recovered from our house. We do not print fake notes. Two persons had given the fake notes to my son,” said Meher’s father. A team of the STF has also left for Chhattisgarh to carry out further probe in the case.