In a significant breakthrough, Ahmedabad Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG) has arrested four individuals involved in a counterfeit currency racket, with a focus on fake Australian dollars. The arrests came after a tip-off about the circulation of counterfeit notes in the Vejalpur area of Ahmedabad.
The operation was led by Ronak Rathod, a 24-year-old laborer, who was caught attempting to exchange counterfeit Australian $50 bills. During interrogation, Rathod revealed that the fake currency had been provided to him by Khush Patel, also 24, a fellow gang member. Rathod’s confession led police to Maulik Patel, the 36-year-old mastermind and a transport business owner. Patel, along with Dhruv Desai, a 20-year-old student, was found to be involved in the production of the fake currency at a warehouse in the Vatva locality of Ahmedabad.
The police recovered 32 completed counterfeit $50 notes and 18 partially printed fake bills, along with high-end printing equipment. Among the seized items were a Rs 9,00,000 printing machine, laptops, a desktop, and mobile phones valued at Rs 2,10,000, totaling approximately Rs 11,92,500 in confiscated goods.
Further investigation revealed that the gang used specialized plastic sheets and materials to print the counterfeit Australian dollars, which were nearly identical to the genuine notes, likely using real Australian dollars as templates.
This bust is part of a broader effort by the Ahmedabad SOG to crack down on counterfeit currency operations in Gujarat. The police’s efforts are in response to increasing sophistication in currency printing. Last month, authorities arrested three individuals for selling fake Rs500 notes, which featured Bollywood actor Anupam Kher’s image instead of Mahatma Gandhi, as part of another counterfeit scam.
The ongoing investigations are aimed at preventing further damage from counterfeit currency operations, as police continue to track down similar illegal activities across the state.