Out on bail, drug peddling accused, his 3 aides held with fake currency notes

Notes having a face value of Rs 1.7 lakh seized; accused told the police that they had already made purchases worth Rs 50,000 from grocery stores and petrol pumps using the counterfeit money

A drug peddling accused and his three accomplices were arrested with fake currency notes having a face value of Rs 1.7 lakh on Friday.

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The accused, identified as Bhupinder Singh of Tajpur Road, Gurdeep Singh of Bhamian Khurd, Amar Singh of Kakowal village and Tajinder Singh of Kakka village, told the police that they have already made purchases worth Rs 50,000 from petrol pumps and grocery stores using the counterfeit money.

Sub-inspector Arshpreet Kaur, the Basti Jodhewal station house officer, said the accused were arrested from Jodhewal area during special checking. The SHO said Bhupinder was the kingpin of the gang. He had been earlier arrested with 10gm heroin and lodged at the Ludhiana central jail. There he had met an inmate called Vicky, who had told him about the technique of printing fake currency notes.

After coming out on bail, Vicky helped Bhupinder purchase a computer, printer and other materials required for printing the fake currency. Bhupinder then brought in three others and started printing fake currency notes of Rs 200, Rs 100 and Rs 2,000, said the SHO.

“the accused confessed to have spent around Rs 50,000 in counterfeit currency. They told the police they were using it on their own and not selling it to anyone but we are investigating the matter thoroughly," she said.

A case has been registered against the accused at the Basti Jodhewal police station.