Food delivery worker and accomplices arrested for printing fake currency from YouTube tutorials

A food delivery worker and two accomplices who taught themselves to print fake currency by watching YouTube and Instagram videos were arrested in Hyderabad after police seized ₹2.91 lakh worth of counterfeit notes and printing equipment.

The Commissioner's Task Force, Shamshabad Zone team, and Balapur police detained Ramavath Ramu alias Mohammed, 36, a food delivery worker, his relative Ramavath Mothilal, 35, a bike taxi rider, and Ramavath Gandhi, 19, an autorickshaw driver. All three live in Chinthal Thanda in Vaddipatla. A fourth suspect, Sudheer John Chela alias Vamshi of Nagole, Bandlaguda, remains at large.

How the racket began

Ramu and Mothilal learned counterfeiting techniques from online videos, police said. Mothilal came across a notification on YouTube about making fake currency that displayed a phone number. The person contacted through that number allegedly explained what materials were needed, including a colour printer, scanner and bond paper, according to Shamshabad Zone Task Force Inspector D. Krishna Mohan.

The accused bought a colour printer and other material and started producing fake notes, even attempting to replicate the watermark found on genuine currency.

Circulation and seizure

The counterfeit notes were allegedly circulated in small quantities at wine shops and vegetable markets, particularly at night. Police suspect Gandhi was being used to push the fake notes into circulation.

Officers recovered 437 counterfeit ₹500 notes, 648 counterfeit ₹100 notes and 39 counterfeit ₹200 notes, totalling ₹2,91,100 in face value. They also seized four genuine ₹500 notes and four genuine ₹100 notes that were allegedly used as samples for photocopying.

The accused and seized property were handed over to Balapur police for further investigation. Ramu had previously been booked in a 2022 case at the Nalgonda Women's Police Station under provisions of the IPC and Dowry Prohibition Act.

Source: The Hindu