Fake notes worth Rs 14 crore seized in Uttara Kannada; Goa resident under police watch

Dandeli, April 9: The Dandeli police have recovered a large quantity of fake currency notes amounting to approximately Rs 14 crore from a house located in the Gandhinagar area of the city.

According to police sources, the house where the notes were found is owned by a local resident, Noorjan, and was rented out to Arshad Khan, a native of Goa. Khan has reportedly not visited the house for the past month.

Suspicion arose when locals noticed that the back door of the house was half open and informed the police. Upon inspection, officers discovered bundles of fake Rs 500 notes. The notes bore the label "Reverse Bank of India" and carried the disclaimer "For Film Shooting Only." They also lacked standard security features such as the Governor's signature and valid serial numbers, instead featuring only zeros.

Initial estimates suggest that if the notes were real, their value would be around Rs 14 crore. The entire stock has been seized by the police.

When contacted by police, Arshad Khan claimed he was currently in Goa and promised to return to Dandeli. Authorities have stated that further details regarding the presence and purpose of such a large amount of counterfeit notes will be known only after Khan is taken into custody and questioned.

Police have not ruled out the possibility of the notes being used for film production or other purposes, but said that an investigation is ongoing to determine whether there is any illegal intent involved.