The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (UP ATS) arrested a railway employee, Gajendra Yadav, and two associates in Pilkhuwa (Hapur district) for operating a counterfeit currency printing racket. Officials seized approximately ₹3.9 lakh in fake currency along with advanced printing equipment.
Fabricated Currency Made with Imported Paper and Photoshop
Investigators revealed that the samba insider, a points man at Lakhan Railway Station, used his leave to run the operation from a rented flat in Pilkhuwa’s Dinesh Nagar Colony. The gang managed the operation through a clear division of labour: supplier Vijayveer Choudhary procured water-marked security paper from Alibaba, while Siddharth Jha used laptops, printers, and lamination machines to design and print counterfeit ₹100, ₹200, and ₹500 notes using Photoshop templates.
Seized materials included:
- Fake currency totalling ₹3.9 lakh
- Partially printed ₹500 notes
- 103 watermark security sheets
- Printers, laptops, lamination machines, metal cutters
- Inks, spray cans, Photoshop files on pen drives
- Five mobile phones and a vehicle used in distribution
The gang used social media to identify buyers in different UP districts, distributing counterfeit notes across the state.
Arrests and Ongoing Investigations
UP ATS arrested Yadav, Jha, and Choudhary on-site while they were transporting counterfeit notes in a car. This followed a tip-off and an intelligence-led operation. The investigation also uncovered the rail employee’s suspicious absence he had taken a four-day leave and failed to return to duty as expected.
Police have launched a comprehensive inquiry into the covert network, tracing digital footprints, suppliers, and distribution links. They are also coordinating with railway authorities and local policing units to examine any institutional links or security lapses.
About the Author – Anirudh Mittal is a B.Sc. LL.B. (Hons.) student at National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, with a keen interest in corporate law and tech-driven legal change.