Pune: The Samarth Police have arrested a Gujarat resident in connection with possession of counterfeit ₹100 and ₹500 currency notes amounting to ₹77,100.

A case has been registered against the accused, identified as Gaurav Ramprasad Savita (resident of Jamnagar, Gujarat), at the Samarth Police Station.

The arrest took place during a combing operation conducted on Friday (December 20) night in Pune. Acting on a tip-off about an individual using counterfeit currency near the Apollo Theatre, close to the Untadya Maruti Temple, a police team comprising Constables Lakhan Shete and Shashikant Patil apprehended the suspect.

Upon searching the accused, the police recovered 142 counterfeit ₹500 notes and 61 counterfeit ₹100 notes. In addition to the counterfeit currency, items including a mobile phone were confiscated, bringing the total seizure to ₹1.05 lakh.

Sub-Inspector Meghraj Jadhav, who is leading the investigation, stated that Gaurav works as a hotel manager in Himachal Pradesh and claimed he was visiting Pune for leisure. However, initial investigations suggest he might have been attempting to circulate counterfeit notes in urban areas.

While the counterfeit notes resemble genuine currency, discrepancies such as incomplete watermark printing and an interrupted silver security thread indicate their fraudulent nature.

The police also recovered a CPU from the accused, raising suspicions that he may possess the technology required for printing fake currency. Gaurav has claimed to have sourced the counterfeit notes from Rajasthan, and further investigation is underway.