In a major haul, the police arrested six men - Tariq Anwar (20), Mohammed Jamal (23), Rajiv Kumar (22), Prabha Shankar Singh (25), Shiv Shankar Singh (23) and Keshav Kumar (23), all from Bihar, and seized counterfeit Indian currency worth about Rs 2.8 lakh in Flower Bazaar on Thursday.In a pre-dawn operation, a special police team led by Assistant Police Commissioner S Radhakrishnan raided a lodge on Nainiyappa Maistry Street after receiving a tip-off from the manager on the suspicious activities of a group of men staying there.
“The manager told us that six men, all north Indians, spent the whole day inside the room,” a police officer said. “They spent lavishly and ate sumptuously. At night, one or two of them went out and returned with a handful of cosmetic products, which aroused his suspicion.” The special team conducted a search and seized Rs 2.8 lakh in denominations of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 from the room. The notes were scrutinised and detected as fake.
Besides the fake currency, cell phones and Rs 20,000 cash were also recovered.
Briefing newsmen, City Police Commissioner T Rajendran said the accused persons acted as circulation agents and received 20 per cent as commission. The seizure was the second of its kind this year.
In 2009, a total of 63 persons were arrested in 42 cases and fake notes worth about Rs 5 lakh seized, he added.
