Nagpur, India- Sitabuldi Police apprehended four individuals caught red-handed attempting to deceive a man with counterfeit currency. The police seized fake notes in Rs 500, Rs 200, and Rs 100 denominations, with a total face value of Rs 25 lakh. The accused are: Satish Dhnyandev Gaikwad (29) from Wadoda village, Malkapur tehsil, Buldhana district; Gautam Raju Bhalavi (21) and Shubham Sahdev Pradhan (27), both from IC Chowk, Hingna Road, Nagpur; Monu alias Shabbir Balakat Sheikh (27) from Hingna Road, Nagpur

The incident unfolded when Rahul Vasudev Thakur (31), a resident of Sushila Nagar, Jhingabai Takli, responded to a Facebook advertisement on Monday night. He called a provided phone number, where the person on the other end promised him Rs 8 lakh in exchange for Rs 2 lakh and claimed to have currency printing machines. Suspecting a scam, Thakur alerted the police, who then set a trap.

The police arrested the fraudsters at Maharajbagh in the evening as they handed over a bag to Thakur. Inside, the police found 44 bundles of counterfeit notes and plain paper, each with a genuine note on top and bottom to give the illusion of authenticity.

The accused were taken to Sitabuldi police station for further investigation. A police official revealed that the suspects had scammed several people and had contacted Thakur via WhatsApp. They are currently being interrogated to determine the full scope of their fraudulent activities, and charges will be filed against them.

The accused arranged the bundles to deceive, placing genuine notes on the outside of bundles of fake notes and wrapping them to prevent easy inspection. They claimed the bundles contained Rs 25 lakh printed with their machine when questioned by Thakur.