BELAGAVI: The Market police has arrested four persons for allegedly attempting to circulate counterfeit currency notes in the city.
Following the tip off from a shopkeeper in Khadebazar area, police busted the gang involved in circulating the fake currency notes. According to police, the accused purchased goods from a shop on Khade Bazar Road in Belagavi on March 16 and paid with Rs 500 denomination notes. The shopkeeper suspected the currency to be fake and immediately informed the police.
Acting swiftly on the information, Police Inspector JM Kalimirchi alerted senior officers and, along with his team, rushed to the spot. The suspects were detained and taken into custody for questioning. During interrogation, the accused allegedly admitted that they had come to circulate counterfeit Rs 500 notes in the city.
Police have identified the accused as Mohammed Arbaaz (21), son of Mohammed Adam, a resident of Davorlim, Navelim, South Goa, Rupesh Hanumant Wakod (26), resident of Canacona, Goa, Mohammed Husain Bakshi (23), son of Raza Bakshi, resident of Bhuvaneshwari Temple Road, Margao, South Goa and Shravan Kumar (25), son of Tuntun Malli, resident of Hanuman Galli, Panchveer, Begusarai district in Bihar.
During the operation, police seized 495 counterfeit Rs 500 currency notes, along with four mobile handsets worth about Rs 40,000 and a Maruti Suzuki S-Cross (VXI) car valued at around Rs 3 lakh, which was allegedly used in the crime.
A case has been registered at Market Police Station. Further investigation is underway to determine the source of the fake currency and whether more persons are involved in the network.