Police bust fake currency notes printing unit; three held

In a major breakthrough, the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police has busted an inter-state Fake Indian Currency Note (FICN) syndicate operating across Delhi, Bareilly, and Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh, officials said on Tuesday.

The accused, identified as Rakesh Arora (50), Ravi Arora (50), and Vivek Kumar Maurya (32), were arrested and a printing unit was also unearthed in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh.

According to the police, the arrests followed sustained field surveillance and technical analysis by the Crime Branch’s Central Range team. The accused are habitual offenders with previous criminal records, including cases of attempted murder and circulation of counterfeit currency in Uttar Pradesh.

The investigation began after intelligence indicated that a group was circulating fake notes in Delhi and adjoining regions. Acting on the input, police registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Crime Branch Police Station.

The first arrest came when Rakesh Arora was caught near North Gate Mall in Delhi. Officers recovered counterfeit notes worth Rs 1 lakh, all in Rs 500 denominations. During interrogation, he revealed that the fake notes had been supplied by Vivek Kumar Maurya of Shahjahanpur through his brother and associate, Ravi Arora.

Following these disclosures, a Crime Branch team travelled to Shahjahanpur and, in coordination with local police, raided Ravi Arora’s residence. The team seized 37 counterfeit notes in Rs 500 and Rs 200 denominations, worth Rs 17,500, along with documents linked to co-accused Vivek Maurya.

Subsequently, police zeroed in on Vivek, who was allegedly running a full-fledged printing unit from his rented house in the Sadar Bazar area of Shahjahanpur. He was caught red-handed while printing counterfeit notes using a computer and printer.

A significant haul of fake currency material was recovered from the premises, including 122 unfinished printing sheets, high-quality printers, specialised currency paper, chemicals, embossing powder, and tools used for replicating authentic security features. The police also recovered a PAN card and an SBI passbook in the name of Gaurav Mishra, which were allegedly used for financial transactions linked to the racket.

Preliminary investigation revealed that both Ravi Arora and Vivek Maurya have prior criminal records. Vivek has been booked in multiple cases, including those related to the circulation of counterfeit notes in Uttar Pradesh, while Ravi faces charges of attempted murder and fake currency offences.