Hyderabad:The Pahadishareef police uncovered a counterfeit currency racket that mirrored the techniques showcased in Shahid Kapoor’s popular web series ‘Farzi’. Kapoor plays a graphic designer who uses his design skills to manufacture fake currency, employing the ‘sandwich note’ technique which involves gluing two sheets of paper together to mimic the texture and feel of real currency.
The accused was Karli Naveen Kumar, a 26-year-old freelance graphic designer from Mahbubnagar,. He used similar methods to forge fake Rs 500 notes, using 45 GSM paper to replicate the real currency; the GSM number, or weight of the paper, in the web series is different.
Kumar previously worked as a graphic designer but when entangled in a financial distress and conspired to to use his designing expertise for wrong doings.
Rachakonda police commissioner G. Sudheer Babu said Naveen began his counterfeit operation in 2023 after he connected with a businessman from Kolkata while searching online for 45 GSM paper. The businessman reportedly introduced him to the world of counterfeit currency and production.
Kumar used his knowledge of graphic design and digital tools to produce high-quality fake currency notes. With the assistance of a Kolkata contact, he was introduced to another man from Gujarat. He gifted Naveen and gifted him specialized equipment, including a RBI security thread file, which helped him improve the quality of the forged notes, the police commissioner said.
Initially, Kumar started by producing counterfeit `500 notes using a colour printer, but his first attempts were unsuccessful. The associates from Kolkata and Gujarat, and the operation grew. Kumar eventually began producing large quantities of fake currency, exchanging techniques and samples with other conspirators across India. He also received sophisticated printers and materials to enhance the quality of his counterfeiting process.
Based on a tip-off, a special operations team and Pahadishareef police apprehended Kumar in Tukkuguda as he was attempting to deliver fake `500 notes with a face value of `5 lakh to one of his agents. The police seized numerous items from Kumar’s possession, including a laptop, printing machines, security thread papers, PVC screen printing ink, and other material.
The commissioner confirmed that the currency was never circulated or put to use.
