The Rachakonda SOT police apprehended 10 persons on Tuesday for allegedly printing and circulating fake currency notes, and seized ₹ 31,25,500 in dubious money from their possession.

Police said that while 12 persons are involved in the case, two are absconding.

The accused have been identified as Eppanapally Rajesh, Roshan Mahaboob Shaik, Bothapati Sukesh, Innvalli Durga Prasad, Innavilli Srinivas Chandrasekhar and others. The two accused who are absconding are Rajasekhar and Suresh Naidu.

Two other persons – Md Baba and Md Shakeel – both of whom are said to work at butcher shops have also been arrested for allegedly circulating the fake currency notes.

According to the police, the prime accused Eppanapally Rajesh and his associates bought a scanner, a colour printer and other equipment to print fake currency notes of ₹ 500 and ₹ 2,000 denomination. While the accused Rajasekhar was in charge of printing ₹ 500 currency notes, Srinivas and his associates were in charge of printing notes of ₹ 2,000 denomination.

The two groups then allegedly struck a deal with Baba and Shakeel and entrusted them with circulating the dubious currency notes. The duo then allegedly circulated the currency notes in Ibrahimpatnam, Chotuppal, Shadnagar and Nalgonda cattle markets.

Police said the accused were apprehended after the SOT received a tip-off. Apart from the fake currency notes, police seized printers, mobile phones and a scanner from their possession.