The Mahe police on Friday seized counterfeit notes (in denominations of 500 and 1000) with a face value of `1.82 lakh and arrested five persons from Kerala including a businessman Tajuddin (45) in this connection.
Deivasigamany, SP of special branch, Mahe, said the investigation so far had revealed that the counterfeit notes had been routed from Oman through Kerala by Inam, a Pakistani friend of Tajuddin.
Tajuddin who is a resident of Cannanore district in Kerala, bordering Mahe, ran a shopping complex in Oman. The counterfeit notes with a face value of `2.15 lakh had been concealed in a perfume case and sent to Tajuddin, through another person Sulaf (33), said Deivasigamany on Saturday.
The circulation of counterfeit currency came to light in Mahe, when Feroze (25), an electrician from Cannanore, produced a counterfeit note of `1000 at a petrol bunk in Mahe.
Police, who arrived on the scene interrogated the bearer and seized counterfeit notes of face value `65,000.