A special team of the Kerala Police from Kochi arrested two more persons from Coimbatore early on Thursday in connection with the seizure of ₹1.8 crore in counterfeit notes from a resident of Al Ameen Colony here on Wednesday.
Police sources said that S. Azharuddeen alias Ashraf (28) of Vasantham Nagar on Podanur Main Road and Mohammed Rishad (30) of Karumbukadai were arrested in the early hours of Thursday.
On Wednesday, the police team arrested Ashraf Ali alias Settu (29) of Vallal Nagar at Saramedu and Syed Sultan (32) of Al Ameen Colony. The police initially nabbed Ali, which led to the arrest of Sultan with ₹1.8 crore in fake currency -- all bills of ₹2,000 denominations.
Sources said that the special team, comprising members from the Anti-Terrorist Squad of Kochi City Police, came to Coimbatore in connection with the seizure of ₹1.74 lakh by the Udayamperoor police in Kochi in March this year. The Udayamperoor police initially arrested a 36-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman. They later arrested a third person who confessed to investigators that the fake bills were sourced from a Coimbatore-based group.
The special team was said to be on the lookout for a few more persons who were allegedly involved in the making and distribution of fake currency. Sources added that the fake notes were of low quality, printed using desktop printing facilities.
