Coimbatore, February 07: The officials of Organized Crime Intelligence Cell today arrested three persons and seized counterfeit currency notes with face value of Rs one lakh in the denomination of Rs 500 from them in the city. Police said on information that lots of Rs 500 notes were in circulation in Tirupur, Erode and Coimbatore districts and fake currency notes had been distributed in Udumalpet in Tirupur district, a trap was laid and an official was sent to contact one Narayanamurthy alias Kumar at Udumalpet. The official informed him that he wanted fake currency notes in exchange of original notes. Kumar asked the official to come near by petrol bunk with original notes. The official went with money and Kumar along with his friend Idhathulla came to the petrol bunk and paid the fake money after accepting the original. The police officials immediately caught them. During interrogation, the duo revealed that they were getting the fake money from Mr Ramanujam living at Papanayakkan Palayam, near the city. Police arrested Ramanujam last night itself and found that Ramanujam was expert in printing fake currency notes. They also revealed that Kumar and Idhayathulla were working together in Tirupur and they had habit of drinking alcohol in TASMAC shops. During that time they met Ramanujam and developed contact. So far they had spread Rs 2.5 lakh worth fake currencies notes in the area. All three were remanded to judicial custody. Ramanujam was booked for circulating fake currency in Kerala during in 2003 also, police added.
—Agencies