Bhopal: Delivery Boy Arrested For Printing, Circulating Fake Currency

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): In a major breakthrough, Nishatpura police arrested a delivery boy, who was printing and circulating fake currency notes from his home in Bhopal.

The accused, identified as Zakir Khan (42) of Indrapuri Colony, was caught with counterfeit currency worth ₹13,400, along with a home setup used for printing the fake notes. Two stolen motorcycles used in the circulation were also seized.

The arrest took place late Friday night at Housing Board Crossing, where Zakir, riding a bike, tried to avoid a routine police check. Sensing something suspicious, Nishatpura police station in-charge Rupesh Dubey and his team intercepted him.

On searching his scooter’s dicky and pockets, they discovered fake ₹100 notes, which were confirmed counterfeit when matched with genuine currency.

Upon further investigation, police raided Zakir’s residence and recovered 55 fake ₹100 notes, as well as 50 half-printed sheets in ₹50 and ₹100 denominations—many carrying identical serial numbers. Authorities also seized a scanner, colour printer, sharp paper cutter, green plastic strips and other materials used in the operation.

Modus operandi

According to in-charge Rupesh Dubey, Zakir had been printing fake notes for the past six months, having purchased necessary tools and equipment himself.

He deliberately printed ₹50 and ₹100 notes, as these smaller denominations circulate easily at small shops and roadside vendors without drawing much suspicion.

While working as a delivery agent, he would discreetly push the counterfeit notes into the market during deliveries. Zakir admitted to having circulated over ₹40,000 worth of fake currency in the past few months.

Police take remand

Police have taken Zakir into remand to investigate whether he was working alone or had accomplices. So far, two cases of truck theft have also been found registered against him in other police stations. He will be further questioned to determine if he was selling fake currency to others.

Took YouTube lessons

Investigators revealed that Zakir learnt the technique from YouTube videos, using high-quality paper and even adding finely cut green plastic strips to mimic the RBI security threads found on real notes. While the fake notes appeared convincing, they discoloured when exposed to water, giving them away.