KOZHIKODE: Kozhikode city police has arrested five persons with Rs 10 lakh worth counterfeit currency. All the five were picked up in different days this month as police continued their crackdown till they got the main operative in the counterfeit racket.
Kasaba Police first arrested Biju, 32, a native of Thalayad, when he tried to purchase liquor using a Rs 1,000 fake note at the Beverages outlet on Pavamani Road.
The shop employee got suspicious about the originality of the note and informed the police who came to the spot and picked up Biju and recovered nine more Rs 1,000 denomination fake notes from him.
Police then found out that there was a major racket behind and picked up Shihab, 32, a native of Kanhangad, and seized Rs 4,500 worth counterfeit notes from him. Police said both Biju and Shihab worked together in a hotel in the city.
On September 9, police tracked down another member of the same racket, Anoop, 35, a native of Koru-thodu and recovered Rs 25,000 worth fake currency.
When police interrogated them, they got the information regarding the key operative who printed the currencies in a screen printing unit set up at his house.
Police then arrested the chief operative Joseph alias Gold Joseph, 45, a native of Panachipara, Eerattupettah, and his associate Mohanan Sasi, 42.
Police recovered Rs 9 lakh worth counterfeit currency from Joseph and Rs 4,500 from Sasi.
Police said Joseph, with the help of computers and screen printers, printed these notes at his residence in Erattupettah.
They recovered several bundles of papers used for printing notes, RBI threads, gilt and foil papers and ink from his house.
Joseph, who runs a textile shop, had earlier worked as a screen printer and used that experience to make counterfeit currencies. Police is continuing hunt for more members of the gang.
