Ahmedabad Crime Branch seized fake Indian currency worth over Rs 2 crore and arrested the main accused, Pradeep Jotangiya, also known as Pradeep Guruji, of Satya Yog Foundation in Gujarat. He started producing counterfeit currency to fund his ashram with six others.
Police acted on a tip-off that fake Indian currency notes were being transported from Surat to Ahmedabad for delivery in the Amraiwadi area.
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Crime branch officials seized 42,000 fake Rs 500 notes, totalling over Rs 2 crore, during the interception of a car bearing a ‘Government of India and Ministry of AYUSH' plate. Seven people, including a woman, were involved in manufacturing and circulating fake currency. Six of them were disciples of Pradeep. All the accused are from Surat.
The Modus Operandi
Surat Police raided a site near the Shri Satya Yoga Foundation ashram, where the notes were printed. Police seized about Rs 28 lakh, printing materials, a laptop, a paper-cutting machine, a currency-counting machine and other equipment.
One accused, Mukesh, handled printers, paper-cutting machines and other materials, while another accused worked on graphic design.
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The case involved the use of artificial intelligence tools, including ChatGPT, to refine layout, visual features and the design of Indian currency.
Police said the accused had links with handlers in China through a local agent.
For duplication, the accused ordered paper with embedded security features and worked with contacts in China to insert different serial numbers on the notes on security-thread paper.
Investigators said the group sold counterfeit currency at a premium. Buyers paid Rs 500 in genuine currency to receive Rs 1,500 in fake notes. In this case, the accused received Rs 66 lakh for the Rs 2 crore counterfeit currency seized by police.
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