Dera Bassi police busts inter-state fake currency racket; Rs 9.99 crore seized, two arrested | Chandigarh News
In a major breakthrough, the Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (Mohali) police Thursday busted an inter-state counterfeit currency syndicate and arrested two men with a seizure of Rs 9.99 crore in fake and discontinued currency notes from Dera Bassi.
SSP Harmandeep Singh Hans said the arrested accused have been identified as Sachin, a resident of Bharat Nagar, Pehowa (Kurukshetra), and Gurdeep, a resident of Gurdev Nagar, Kurukshetra. Both are believed to be part of an organised network involved in duping people across several states.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, SP (Rural) Manpreet Singh and DSP Dera Bassi Bikramjit Singh Brar formed special teams. The operation was led by Inspector Sumit Mor (SHO, Dera Bassi) and Inspector Malkit Singh (Incharge, Anti-Narcotics Cell), who laid a naka near the old Ambala–Kalka highway on the Ghaggar bridge, close to the PWD Rest House.
Story continues below this ad
A white Scorpio SUV carrying the two suspects was intercepted, following which the police recovered Rs 11,05,000 in genuine but discontinued notes and Rs 9,88,00,000 in counterfeit currency.
According to the police, the genuine currency comprised Rs 7,42,000 in old Rs 1,000 notes, Rs 3,50,000 in old Rs 2,000 notes, Rs13,000 in new Rs 500 notes.
The counterfeit haul included 80 bundles of old Rs 1,000 notes (approximately Rs 80 lakh), 60 bundles of new Rs 500 notes (approximately Rs 30 lakh), 439 bundles of Rs 2,000 notes (approximately Rs 8.78 crore).
Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused used a common fraud technique: placing genuine notes on the top and bottom of each bundle while filling the rest with fake notes. They allegedly cheated several people in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and other neighbouring states.
Story continues below this ad
The police said the duo is also linked to a Rs 7-crore fraud case registered in Mohali in 2023 under sections 406 and 420 of the IPC at Phase-1 police station.
A fresh FIR has been registered at Dera Bassi police station under sections 318(4), 178, 179, 180 and 182 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The SSP said further investigation is underway and more arrests are likely as the network appears to be widespread.
