Vegetable vendor learns printing fake Rs 100, Rs 500 notes online, gets arrested

A vegetable vendor in Gujarat’s Rajkot reportedly turned to counterfeit currency after watching an Instagram reel and later receiving training through Telegram, police said. The Rajkot City Crime Branch and Special Operations Group (SOG) arrested the man during a raid at his residence and seized fake currency and equipment worth Rs 65,500.Rajkot DCP (Crime) Jagdish Bangarwa said the accused, identified as Kishan Solanki, was printing counterfeit Rs 100 and Rs 500 notes at a house in the Mandadungar area.Acting on specific information, a joint team of the Crime Branch and SOG raided the house and caught Solanki. Police recovered 216 counterfeit Rs 100 notes and three counterfeit Rs 500 notes from the premises.The police also seized a CPU, monitor, two printers, a laminator heater machine, butter paper and paper carrying printed Rs 100 denominations. The total value of the seized material was estimated at Rs 65,500, police said. INSTAGRAM REEL LED TO TELEGRAM TRAININGDuring preliminary questioning, Solanki told police that he worked as a vegetable vendor and had accumulated debt because of his low income.According to police, Solanki came across an Instagram reel showing how counterfeit Rs 100 and Rs 500 notes could be made while scrolling through the platform. He contacted the person behind the account and later communicated with the person through Telegram. Police said Solanki learnt the process of printing counterfeit currency through the Telegram conversations.The accused reportedly told investigators that he gave the trainer counterfeit notes worth Rs 10,000, in return for which the trainer paid him Rs 3,000. Police are now searching for the person who allegedly provided the training and are investigating his role in the case.FAKE NOTES CIRCULATED IN RETAIL MARKETThe investigation has also revealed that Solanki allegedly did not sell the counterfeit currency in bulk. Instead, police said, he circulated the notes himself while making small purchases at different places.According to the preliminary investigation, Solanki had circulated around 40 counterfeit Rs 100 notes over the past four to five months.Police said he particularly used the recently concluded Janmashtami fair to circulate the fake notes while making small purchases. Investigators believe the accused chose Rs 100 notes because small transactions may receive less scrutiny from vendors.The recovery of the printing equipment and fake currency has prompted police to investigate how many notes Solanki had printed so far and where they were circulated.THREE-DAY POLICE REMANDA court has granted the accused three days of police remand. During the remand period, investigators will question Solanki about the number of counterfeit notes he printed and circulated, the source of the equipment and his communications with the person who allegedly trained him.Police are also investigating whether other people were involved in the counterfeit currency operation and whether the fake notes circulated by Solanki reached other parts of Rajkot.- Ends