Ahmedabad: In a major crackdown, the Ahmedabad Crime Branch has busted a fake currency racket and seized counterfeit Indian currency worth over ₹2.10 crore from the Amraiwadi area. Six persons, including a woman, have been arrested after police recovered a large quantity of fake ₹500 notes from a Fortuner car during a raid.

According to Crime Branch officials, the accused were travelling in a vehicle linked to Shree Satyam Yog Foundation, which was allegedly being used to transport fake currency. During the operation, police recovered counterfeit notes worth about ₹2.10 crore from the car. Due to the huge quantity of seized currency, the counting and panchnama procedure is still underway and is expected to take considerable time.

As per reports, it has been revealed that the fake notes were being printed in Surat’s Varachha area. Police have also seized a printing machine suspected to have been used for printing counterfeit currency. It is learnt that the racket was allegedly linked to an ashram run by a person known as Pradeepji (Sadguru Pradeep), who operates Satyam Yog Foundation. The ashram is located near the Tapi River at Dhoran Pardi in Kamrej, Surat.

Crime Branch teams carried out simultaneous action in Ahmedabad and Surat. Apart from the ₹2.10 crore fake notes seized in Ahmedabad, around ₹80 lakh worth of counterfeit currency has also reportedly been recovered during the Surat operation.

Police are currently interrogating the arrested accused to find out where the fake notes were printed and where they were being supplied.

Meanwhile, reports also indicate that Sadguru Pradeep has been detained for questioning, though official confirmation is awaited. Police teams are continuing the investigation at the ashram premises, where the fake currency printing operation is suspected to have been running.

Officials said detailed information will be shared after the FIR is formally registered and legal procedures, including counting of the seized notes, are completed. DeshGujarat