Ahmedabad: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has joined the probe into the fake currency racket busted earlier this month with the seizure of counterfeit notes with Rs 2.38 crore face value. On March 18, the city crime branch arrested seven persons, including a yoga instructor, after intercepting a white SUV near Torrent Power in Amraiwadi on a tip-off that fake currency was being transported from Surat to Ahmedabad. Police recovered 44,053 counterfeit Rs 500 notes concealed in bags and cartons, with a face value of around Rs 2.10 crore.Subsequent raids at a residence in Surat, where the accused allegedly had been running a printing unit for around four months, led to the recovery of an additional fake currency with the face value of Rs 28 lakh. High-grade printers, a laptop, a paper-cutting machine and a currency-counting machine were also seized. Investigators found that the main accused travelled to China to procure specialized printing paper and visited specific locations linked to suppliers and later brought the material to Gujarat. His claim that the visit was meant for purchasing yoga equipment has not matched the findings so far, police said.The probe has also revealed that the accused developed a network of contacts to circulate the counterfeit currency across regions. Police suspect that properties in Surat and Rajkot, along with some vehicles, may have been purchased using the fake notes. Financial transactions of the accused are being examined to trace the money trail. Sources said an accomplice allegedly gave the main accused the idea of printing fake money to overcome “financial difficulties”. Investigators are also looking into past allegations of sexual harassment against the main accused, including claims related to clients and minors during yoga training sessions, with some videos and chats having surfaced earlier. Officials said certain govt functionaries are also under the scanner for allegedly using the accused’s network to convert unaccounted money into legitimate funds. The role of a retired IPS officer is also being examined. With the NIA stepping in, the probe is expected to focus on interstate and possible international links of the racket.
