Fake currency gang busted, 8, including a woman & minor held

Kothagudem: The Bhadrachalam police on Tuesday busted a fake currency racket and arrested eight persons, including a woman and a minor boy at Cherla in the district.

Addressing the media at Bhadrachalam, ASP B Rohith Raj informed that fake currency worth Rs 5.15 lakh was seized from the accused. A total of 551 fake currency notes of Rs 500 denomination, 90 notes of Rs 2000 and 300 notes of Rs 200 denomination was seized.

The accused were identified as Chirigidi Naresh, Bose Prem Kumar, a chicken shop owner Syed Iqbal and a grocery shop owner Gummala Sarveshwara Rao of Cherla mandal, Mallela Vinod Kumar, Kothapalli Jeevarathnam and Pabbati Jaya Lakshmi of Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh and a minor were arrested on Monday.

It is learnt that for the past some time the racket has been circulating fake currency notes with the intention of defrauding innocent tribal people and making money. They targetted tribals of Cherla mandal and Chhattisgarh border agency villages who visit Cherla mandal headquarters to purchase commodities in the local weekly market and for labour work, Rohith Raj informed.

Vinod Kumar and Jeevarathnam along with an offender Pabbati Murali Krishna of Guntur used to print counterfeit notes and give them to Naresh and Prem Kumar, who circulated such currency in Cherla area.

Murali Krishna was arrested by Kavali Rural Police in Nellore of AP two months ago in a case related to counterfeit currency notes. A computer system used for making counterfeit notes was seized along with an iron box, green thin cover-like threads, 10 pencil engraving chalk and a car were also seized from the accused, ASP added.

Cherla Inspector of Police Boddu Ashok and others were present.