Ahmedabad: The city police’s Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) has registered a case after seizing 1,659 counterfeit currency notes that were routed through 18 different banks. Officials said sealed packets containing suspected fake currency were received from the Reserve Bank of India and several banks in the city. Acting on instructions from senior officers, the SOG team opened the sealed covers in the presence of independent witnesses and carried out a detailed panchnama. During the exercise, 1,659 counterfeit notes of various denominations were recovered. These included six notes of Rs 2,000, 895 of Rs 500, 374 of Rs 200, 274 of Rs 100 and 110 of Rs 50. The total face value of the seized notes worked out to Rs 5.7 lakh, officials said. Investigators observed that many notes were damaged, with some torn, taped together or partially missing. Several notes appeared to be colour photocopies, while others bore forged bank verification stamps. Old series Rs 100 and Rs 50 notes marked invalid were also found. All seized notes were sorted denomination-wise, labelled and sealed in transparent containers for forensic examination. The entire process was videographed using an official e-evidence application. Police suspect the currency was circulated in the banking system before Dec 31, 2024, and are working to trace its source and those responsible.
