Nellore: Atmakur police arrested a three-member gang involved in printing and circulating fake currency notes. They seized Rs 1.90 lakh worth of Rs 2000 and Rs 500 notes besides a computer and colour printer from the accused on Wednesday. In fact police officials investigating the case were flabbergasted when the accused revealed that they have learnt about producing the fake notes through internet with the help of tips available on some websites.
The offenders, school mates identified as Konduru Kumar Raja, 21, Thota Vinay, 20, and Vurumi Nithin belong to different parts of Nellore. After Class X, Kumar Raja went to Bengaluru to pursue polytechnic and other two studied intermediate. Their friendship revived after Kumar returned home and gave up studies following an accident in Bengaluru. They met regularly in a room belonging to Kumar’s parents, who live in Kavali, at Chinna Bazaar in Nellore and become addicted to alcohol over a period of time.
Since all of them are from middle class families, addressing their addictions became a tough task and this led them to think about printing fake notes after Vinay came out with the idea recalling his acquaintance with the people making fake notes in the past. The computer knowledge Kumar had gained while studying in Bengaluru also came in handy for the trio to venture into fraud business.
They pledged Vinay’s motorcycle for Rs 18,000 to buy a colour printer and Kumar brought a computer from Hyderabad. They shifted the equipment to a room they took for partying at Kottur in city sometime back and started working on the notes. Though they were successful with Rs 500 notes, which appeared similar to original notes, but were unsuccessful with respect to size of Rs 2000 notes. They circulated some Rs 500 in Nellore without any hassles but stopped after they came to know that I town cops were on lookout for fake notes gang.
Atmakur police caught them following a tip off by a shopkeeper where they tried to use a fake note late on Monday. They were produced in the court on Wednesday. Atmakur inspector Sk. Khajavali said the young men came to Atmakur hoping that it is easy to circulate them in rural areas.
