Amreli fake note seizure: Crime branch arrests three more persons

Police had identified Parmar as a resident of Koliyak in Bhavnagar and Solanki as a native of Lathi town of Amreli, but working as a broker in Surat.

A day after arresting two men with counterfeit notes worth Rs 1.10 crore face value in Amreli, the Local Crime Branch (LCB) of Amreli district raided a flat on Ghogha Road in Bhavnagar city and arrested three men in connection with the case. The police also recovered additional fake currency notes of Rs 7 lakh face value from the premises. Acting on a tip off, sleuths of the LCB had intercepted Sachin Parmar and Paresh Solanki from near Amreli town late on Wednesday night while they were on their way to Savarkundla to deliver counterfeit notes worth Rs 1.10 crore face value to a person. Police had identified Parmar as a resident of Koliyak in Bhavnagar and Solanki as a native of Lathi town of Amreli, but working as a broker in Surat. The duo was found carrying 4,552 counterfeit notes of Rs 2,000 denomination and 3,988 fake notes of Rs 500 denomination.

Hours after arresting the duo, LCB sleuths raided a flat in Shivranjani Society near Ghogha Jakatnaka in Bhavnagar at around 3 am on Friday and arrested three men from there. The trio were identified as Arjun Bhil, Mahesh Vegad and Mehul Vegad. Police also seized counterfeit notes worth Rs 7.08 lakh, computer, scanner, printer and printing material like paper, stamps etc form the flat.

LCB police inspector Anant Patel said the trio were friends of Parmar. “They were friends of Parmar and were part of the gang engaged in printing of counterfeit notes. All of them are graduates and have been preparing for their computer examinations. They had taken the flat on rent,” Patel told The Indian Express.

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The three persons were formally arrested later in the day and were produced in a court in Amreli in the evening. The court sent them to police custody till June 1. On the other hand, Parmar and Solanki were also produced before a magistrate on Thursday evening and were sent to police remand till June 1. “We are also in the process of identifying the person whom Parmar and Solanki were to deliver the fake notes for around 30 per cent of their face value,” Patel, who is investigating officer of the case further, said.

Incidentally, Parmar and Solanki had reportedly told police that they have already given counterfeit notes of around Rs 1 crore face value to 12 individuals in districts like Surat, Mehsana and Bhavnagar. The accused have been booked for possessing counterfeit notes, to use such notes as genuine and for criminal conspiracy. The Amreli LCB is investigating the case further.