Hyderabad: In a major crackdown on counterfeit currency operations, Mehdipatnam police and the Commissioner’s Task Force, South West Zone, conducted a joint raid leading to the arrest of eight accused involved in printing and circulating fake Indian currency notes.

The operation, carried out at Eidgah Grounds and First Lancer, resulted in the seizure of counterfeit Rs 500 notes worth Rs 4.75 lakhs, along with multiple vehicles and mobile phones.

The accused have been identified as Kasthuri Ramesh Babu (35), a car mechanic from Tandur, and seven others, aged between 21 and 23, residing in Hyderabad and nearby areas. Notably, Kasthuri Ramesh Babu and his sister, K Rameshwari, previously apprehended in Gujarat and Hyderabad for similar offences, were found to be the main operators behind the counterfeit note production process carried out at their residence in Tandur.

Police recovered the fake notes, a Maruti Suzuki Fronx, three two-wheelers, and nine mobile phones during the raids. Ramesh Babu confessed that the counterfeit notes were manufactured by scanning original currency fronts and backs, editing them digitally to precise dimensions, printing on JK bond paper, and meticulously applying a green-coloured security thread using green gift wrap paper glued onto the notes. The counterfeit notes were then dried using heat guns and bundled to imitate genuine currency.

The circulation chain was intricate. Ramesh used Instagram to advertise, inviting customers like Abdul Waheed and Mohd Abdul Khader, who acquired notes on a 1:4 exchange ratio (one original note for four fake ones). The notes then passed through several intermediaries, reducing the ratio to 1:3 and then 1:2, before finally reaching circulation via Syed Altamash Ahmed.

The accused have been taken into custody and presented before the court. Senior police officials, including Deputy Commissioner G Chandra Mohan and Additional DCP Iqbal Siddiqui, supervised the operation, which involved dedicated efforts from Mehdipatnam Police and Task Force personnel.