Gujarat ATS seizes counterfeit notes worth ₹1.59 lakh from Surat railway station, 1 arrested

The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Tuesday seized counterfeit Indian currency notes with a face value of ₹1.59 lakh from Udhna Railway Station in Surat. The seizure was made following a tip-off regarding the smuggling of fake currency from West Bengal into Gujarat.

The arrested accused has been identified as Satyanarayan Devilal Teli, a resident of Mankana village in Surat. According to officials, he had allegedly procured high-quality counterfeit ₹500 denomination notes from an individual in West Bengal in exchange for ₹59,000 in genuine currency.

Acting on intelligence received from a confidential informant, a detailed plan was chalked out to intercept the suspect.

The accused was intercepted at Udhna Railway Station shortly after his arrival by the Porbandar-Kaviguru Express on July 22, 2025. Upon searching his belongings, the team recovered a total of 319 fake ₹500 notes, amounting to a face value of ₹1.59 lakh. The counterfeit notes were seized on the spot.

An FIR has been registered at the ATS police station under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and further legal proceedings are underway.

During initial interrogation, the accused confessed that he intended to gradually circulate the counterfeit notes in the local market, thereby introducing forged currency into the system to destabilise the economy.

The Gujarat ATS is now investigating the West Bengal-based source and suspects the involvement of a larger network engaged in printing and distributing Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN). Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of links to cross-border counterfeiting operations.