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In the last 10 years, counterfeit Indian currency notes with a face value of Rs 10.4 crore have been seized, suggesting Odisha is fast turning into a hub of fake currency notes.
Informing about the seizure of fake currency notes and persons taken to task, DSP, STF, Sachidananda Rath said, “So far, 180 cases have been reported and over 322 accused have been arrested. And counterfeit currency notes with a face value of whooping over Rs 10,40,00,000 were seized from their possession.”
The revelation made by DSP Rath has raised many eyebrows. What makes people surprised is that the crime of running fake currency rackets in going on undeterred despite raids, investigations and subsequent arrests.
Of the total fake currency notes seized, lion shares of them were seized from districts like Bargarh, Sambalpur and Balasore.
Investigations have also proved the involvement of interstate criminals.
Earlier, counterfeit Indian currency notes used to be smuggled from Bangladesh to India. Now, such fake notes are being printed in Odisha itself. And gangs running the rackets usually rope in agents who circulate these notes along with original ones in fairs and markets.
Experts warn people to be careful while dealing in cash amounting to over lakhs. Being careless could land them in trouble, they warned.
“Common people can find out whether a Rs 500 currency note is original or not from closely inspecting some features like watermark of Mahatma Gandhi, a hologram and Rs 500 written in two places on the note,” informed a former banker, Ganeswar Mishra.
Meanwhile, the two accused-Papu Yadav from Uttar Pradesh and Balaram Meher of Barpali area in Bargarh district were on Thursday arrested from Barpali for possessing Indian counterfeit notes with a face value of Rs 14,29,000-were court forwarded today.
Notably, 1,580 fake currency notes in Rs 500 denomination, with a face value of Rs 7.9 crore were seized from a car near Sunki outpost in Koraput district while being smuggled from Chhattisgarh to Andhra Pradesh on March 1, 2021.
