Bhubaneswar: The Special Task Force (STF) of the Odisha Crime Branch on Thursday arrested two individuals and seized high-quality counterfeit currency notes (FICN) with a face value of ₹50,000 in ₹500 denominations in the Balangir district.
The accused have been identified as Md Shabir and Netra Rout. Acting on a tip-off, STF personnel conducted raids in Titilagarh town, where the duo was apprehended for allegedly printing and distributing fake currency.
Sources revealed that the seized fake notes closely resembled genuine currency, incorporating several key security features found in legal tender.
A detailed investigation is currently underway to trace the origin of the materials used in printing the notes and to uncover any possible links to an international counterfeit racket.
This incident follows a similar case from three years ago when authorities recovered counterfeit notes worth ₹41 lacks in the neighboring Sonepur district.
