The Halasuru Gate Police in Bengaluru have arrested five individuals for allegedly printing and attempting to exchange counterfeit ₹2,000 notes at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The accused have been identified as AK Afzal Hussain (29) from Sirigere in Ballari district, Praseeth (47) from Pondicherry, and three others—Mohammad Afnas (34), Nooruddin Alias Anwar (34), and Priyesh (34) from Kerala.
Police officials recovered fake currency notes valued at ₹52.40 lakh, along with two mobile phones during the arrests. The investigation began when Afzal attempted to exchange ₹24.68 lakh in counterfeit notes for ₹500 notes at the RBI’s Bengaluru branch on September 9. Bank officials became suspicious and, upon verifying the notes’ authenticity, discovered they were fake. The Assistant General Manager of the RBI, Bhim Chaudhary, reported the incident to the police, leading to Afzal’s arrest.
Following Afzal’s arrest, police apprehended four additional suspects in Kerala, seizing another ₹27.72 lakh in counterfeit notes. Investigations revealed that Afzal operated a granite business and had a debt of ₹25 lakh owed to him by Nooruddin. Nooruddin allegedly persuaded Afzal to exchange the counterfeit notes for genuine currency, claiming he lacked available funds.
Priyesh, another accused, has run a printing press in Cherkala, Kerala, for two decades. He sourced special paper and note-making materials from Calicut to print the counterfeit ₹2,000 notes, which were then circulated by Nooruddin and the other accomplices.
The police are continuing their investigation into the operation and further connections within the counterfeit currency network.
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