The Sitabuldi Police in Nagpur arrested a group of four fraudsters on Tuesday. They were caught red-handed as they were trying to trick someone with fake notes. They seized fake notes worth Rs 25 lakh, including Rs 500, Rs 200, and Rs 100.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Satish Dnyandev Gaikwad (29) from Wadoda village in Buldhana district, Gautam Raju Bhalavi (21) and Shubham Sahdev Pradhan (27) from IC Chowk, Hingna Road, Nagpur, and Monu alias Shabbir Balakat Sheikh (27) from Hingna Road, Nagpur.
The sequence of events unfolded when Rahul Vasudev Thakur (31) of Sushila Nagar, Zingabai Takli, Nagpur, responded to a Facebook advertisement on Monday night. Following instructions, Thakur contacted a provided phone number, where he was promised Rs 8 lakh in exchange for Rs 2 lakh and claimed to have printing machines for Indian currency notes.
Suspecting foul play, Thakur promptly notified the police, leading to a meticulously laid trap. The fraudsters were caught red-handed when they handed over a bag to Thakur at Maharajbagh on Tuesday evening. Upon inspection, police discovered 44 bundles of notes in the bag, each containing a mix of fake notes.
Further investigations revealed the gang’s modus operandi, involving WhatsApp calls to many victims. The accused are currently under interrogation to ascertain the scope of their fraudulent activities. Charges are set to be filed against them as the police continue their inquiries at the Sitabuldi police station.