Fake notes seized, four held

KORAPUT: Rayagada police on Monday busted an inter-state gang involved in making and circulating counterfeit notes and arrested four persons.
Police seized fake notes, having a face value of Rs 28,900, and equipment used to print them. Police said following a tip-off a raid was conducted when Nalla Sampath and Singarupu Bangaraya, both of Andhra Pradesh, were trying to exchange fake notes at Rayagada bus stand."We recovered nine fake notes of Rs 1,000 denomination and five notes of Rs 500 denomination from them," said SDPO (Rayagada) Y Jagannath Rao.
The SDPO said during interrogation the duo confessed that T P Murali of Pukali village under Pottangi police limits in Koraput district was manufacturing the counterfeit notes in his house and circulating them through Kaka Deepak of Chhattisgarh.
"A police team raided the house of Murali at Pukali and arrested him," the SDPO said.
Based on Murali's information, Deepak was apprehended from a lodge at Semiliguda in Koraput district.
"We recovered two fake notes of Rs 1,000 denomination, two Rs 500 notes and four Rs 100 notes from him," he said. "The well-knit racket was operating in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Efforts are on to nab other gang members," he added.
Police suspect the fake notes were used in interior pockets of the districts for purchasing paddy and cotton from farmers. "We have urged people to verify the notes during transactions and inform the nearest police station," Rao said.
Last week, Rayagada police seized fake currency notes, having a face value of Rs 4.73 lakh, from a villager.