Police on Saturday arrested a tea vendor and seized from him counterfeit currency in the denominations of ₹500, ₹200, and ₹100, from the weekly shandy in Palamaner town. He has been identified as M. Gopal (41) of Kottur village in V. Kota mandal in Chittoor district. His skills in printing fake currency notes have stunned the police.
Deputy SP (Palamaner) N. Sudhakar Reddy said the arrest was made following a tip-off that Gopal was exchanging counterfeit currency notes at the shandy under the pretence of a customer. During interrogation, it was revealed that Gopal, who had earlier worked at a printing press in Bengaluru, used to sell tea at village shandies in various places of Palamaner and neighbouring mandals. An alcoholic, he decided to make easy money with his experience at the printing press. After watching several video clips on social media on how to print counterfeit currency, Gopal began his clandestine work.
A few months ago, he purchased a colour printer to print counterfeit currency. He used green nail polish to create the security thread on them. He then started purchasing vegetables and provisions with these fake notes. His success at this emboldened him.
On Saturday, when Gopal was trying to exchange a fake currency in the denomination of ₹200 with a vegetable vendor, the latter grew suspicious. Soon, a police team rushed to the spot and took Gopal under custody. The team seized from him 29 fake currency notes with a single serial number and in three different denominations. The police then searched his house and confiscated the colour printer, ink bottles, nail polish and paper bundles. A case has been registered and further investigation is on.
