In a significant bust, Tirunelveli police arrested four individuals on Tuesday for possessing counterfeit currency worth Rs 75 lakh. The arrested men have been identified as Seemaisamy and Gopalakrishnan from Sivakasi, and Krishna Shankar and Thangaraj from the Sankarankovil area of Tenkasi district.
The arrests took place during a routine vehicle checking drive by the Moondradaippu police station team, which had set up a checkpoint on the Nanguneri National Highway at Thalaikulam in Tirunelveli. The police stopped a car that was heading towards Nagercoil. Upon questioning the passengers, their responses raised suspicion, prompting the officers to search the vehicle.
The search led to the discovery of fake currency notes with a face value of Rs 500. In total, the police seized Rs 75 lakh in counterfeit currency. In addition, the police found eight mobile phones, a sickle, and equipment used for printing fake notes inside the vehicle.
The arrested individuals have been taken into custody, and a case has been registered against them. Investigations are ongoing, with police interrogating the suspects to unravel the broader counterfeit currency racket. Authorities are also examining the printing equipment found in their possession to understand how the fake notes were produced.
This latest arrest comes just weeks after a similar case in Erode, where a 40-year-old man, along with his parents and a female friend, was arrested for printing fake currency after watching YouTube videos. In that case, fake notes worth Rs 2.85 lakh were seized, and the operation was launched based on a tip-off from a local vegetable seller.
The Tirunelveli police have warned the public about the increasing presence of counterfeit currency and urged people to be vigilant while dealing with large sums of money. The authorities are determined to crack down on such illegal activities and prevent further circulation of fake currency in the state.