The Special Operations Group (SOG) of Ahmedabad police dismantled a sophisticated counterfeit currency racket, arresting four individuals for printing and attempting to circulate fake Australian dollar notes.

Among them, a 20-year-old third-year student of St Xavier’s College in Ahmedabad and a 36-year-old man are believed to be the masterminds of the entire operation.

The crackdown resulted in the seizure of counterfeit currency, high-tech printing equipment, and raw materials worth ₹11.92 lakh.  

The police recovered 131 counterfeit Australian $50 denomination and 18 partially printed sheets, each containing nine notes.

Investigations revealed the gang’s use of advanced technology to produce near-authentic counterfeit currency, raising concerns over the increasing sophistication of economic crimes.  

Tip-off and arrests

Acting on a tip-off on November 26, police nabbed Ronak Rathod, 24, at a salon in Vejalpur while attempting to sell counterfeit dollars. Rathod offered the fake currency at ₹40 per Australian dollar, significantly lower than the market rate of ₹55. When the buyer grew suspicious, he alerted the SOG, leading to Rathod's arrest.  

During interrogation, Rathod revealed that the notes were supplied by his associate, Khush Patel, 24, a resident of Naroda, who promised him a commission. Patel, upon arrest, disclosed that Maulik Patel, 36, an Australian citizen residing in Gandhinagar, had provided the counterfeit notes for distribution at a rate of ₹35 per dollar.

It was also revealed that Maluik had counterfeit 6550 Australian Dollars (i.e. ₹3.5 lakh in Indian currency) with him which he wanted to distribute in the market. 

Factory raid and masterminds

Following leads, the SOG raided a workshop at Platinum Industrial Estate in Vatva on November 27, arresting Maulik Patel and Dhruv Desai, 20, a resident of Ghodasar. The duo was caught red-handed printing a second batch of fake notes.  

The raid uncovered a fully equipped counterfeit currency production setup, including –  

- Fake Notes: Australian $50 bills with features mimicking watermarks and micro text.  

- Machinery: A high-end printing machine worth ₹9 lakh.  

- Raw Materials: Premium printing paper, silicon-based inks, plastic sheets, and adhesive tapes.  

- Other Assets: ₹16,500 in cash, genuine foreign currency, computers, and mobile phones.  

Investigations identified Maulik Patel and Dhruv Desai as the masterminds. Dhruv, a third-year biology student at St Xavier’s College, used his father’s legitimate printing press to produce counterfeit notes without his knowledge. Maulik, who works in Australia’s transport sector, had returned to India three months ago on a short-term visa and orchestrated the racket.