Bhopal/Khandwa: The Khandwa Police have reached the core of a major fake currency scandal, arresting three key ringleaders from a rented apartment in Bagh Mugalia, Bhopal. The arrests follow the interrogation of Zuber Ansari, a local agent of Khandwa caught earlier with nearly Rs 20 lakh in fake notes. The operation is dismantling a sophisticated network involved in printing and distributing counterfeit currency across multiple states.
= Masterminds caught with printing Gear
The arrested trio was identified as the alleged mastermind and note printer Prateek Nawalkhe (Burhanpur), Gopal alias Rahul Pawar (Harda), and Dinesh Gore (Amravati, Maharashtra). Police seized fake Rs 500 notes, electronic printing equipment (including a laptop), multiple mobile phones, checkbooks, and numerous ATM/debit cards from their hideout. The small quantity of counterfeit notes found on them suggests the group was still using the fake currency for daily expenses.
=Multi-state network under scrutiny
The investigation, driven by Zuber Ansari’s revelations, has exposed a circulation network potentially spanning across Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and other distant regions. Nawalkhe, Pawar, and Gore are being remanded to custody as police seek to uncover how many more agents like Zuber were recruited and the extent of the counterfeit currency already put into the market. Police noted that the fake notes were easily identifiable due to poor paper quality and the absence of a proper security thread. Further arrests are expected as authorities work to shut down the entire operation.
