Daijiworld Media Network - Chandigarh

Chandigarh, Nov 14: In a major crackdown on counterfeit currency operations, Punjab Police arrested two individuals from Dera Bassi and seized a total of Rs 9.99 crore in fake and demonetised currency, police officials said on Friday.

The arrested men, identified as Sachin and Gurdeep, both residents of Kurukshetra in Haryana, were intercepted while travelling in a white Scorpio-N. Authorities recovered Rs 9.88 crore in counterfeit currency along with Rs 11.05 lakh in original old notes.

Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav explained that preliminary investigations revealed the duo employed a sophisticated deception technique—placing genuine notes on top of bundles while hiding fake notes inside—to defraud unsuspecting individuals. They are linked to multiple cheating and counterfeit cases across Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SAS Nagar) Harmandeep said the operation was triggered by a tip-off regarding the movement of the suspects. Special teams were formed under SSP (Rural) Manpreet Singh and DSP (Dera Bassi) Bikramjit Singh Brar. SHO (Dera Bassi) Sumit Mor and the in-charge of the anti-narcotics cell, Malkeet Singh, laid a checkpoint near the PWD Rest House on the Ghaggar Bridge along the old Ambala-Kalka highway. This led to the successful interception and seizure.

The SSP noted that the accused have duped numerous people across Punjab and neighboring states and have criminal backgrounds with prior involvement in cheating and counterfeit currency cases.

Authorities indicated that further technical analysis and interrogations are ongoing to uncover the full network, and additional arrests and recoveries are expected in the coming days.

This operation underscores the state police’s proactive approach in tackling sophisticated interstate criminal networks.

If you want, I can also create a visual timeline showing the operation from tip-off to seizure for clarity. It would make the narrative easier to follow.