The accused used a glitter pen to give the fake notes a green tinge.
Highlights
- 4 Bengaluru men used copier and glitter to make fake Rs 2,000 notes
- By the time they were arrested they had used the notes in 8 liquor shops
- The notes they made looked quite real at first glance
In Bengaluru, four men used a copier and some glitter to make fake 2,000-rupee notes that they even used in several shops.
By the time they were arrested yesterday, they had successfully used the notes in eight liquor shops.
Their fake money trick lasted only four days.
Last Friday, they began with 25 crisp fake notes, generated on a photocopy machine at a friend's shop.
"Shashank and Madhu Kumar copied the new 2,000 rupee denomination note in their friend's Xerox shop. Then they had cut the paper according to size. They used a glitter pen to give that green tinge," senior police officer MN Anuchet told NDTV.
Two other friends, Kiran Kumar and Nagaraj, were also in on the plan. They were caught when a shop keeper suspected that the note he had been handed was fake.
Two of the accused men worked in a mobile shop, one is a mechanic and one drives an auto.
The four friends passed off the notes as real in eight wine shops. "We have recovered eight notes. Investigations are on and we will probably recover all 25 notes," said Mr Anuchet.
Two of the men have diplomas from the ITI or Industrial Training Institute.
The notes they made looked quite real at first glance.
The police officer said, "It looks quite genuine in the first instance. Only the paper feels different... and if you are aware of other safety features."
After the government announced a notes ban on November 8, the number of new 2,000-rupee notes was less than adequate as millions queued up at banks and ATMs for cash.