The investigation into an alleged ₹70 crore counterfeit ₹20 coin network in Saharanpur is increasingly focusing on digital evidence, as police examine seized phones and registers to trace suppliers, distributors and financial links.
Saharanpur’s City Kotwali Police, Special Operations Group and surveillance teams have arrested 5 alleged members of the network. Officers recovered 6,400 counterfeit ₹20 coins with a face value of ₹1.28 lakh, 6 manufacturing machines, dies and semi-finished coins estimated at around ₹5 lakh.
Investigators also recovered 7 registers containing mobile numbers and transaction-related entries. Police believe these records could help identify people involved in supplying and distributing the counterfeit coins.
The seized phones are also being examined for contacts, app data and other digital traces. According to investigators, members of the alleged network relied on Signal for communication instead of conventional mobile calls.
Signal uses end-to-end encryption, but its use is legal and the presence of the app on a suspect’s phone does not establish criminal activity. Investigators will need to connect specific communications and contacts with the alleged manufacture, distribution or financing of counterfeit coins.
Police estimate that the network may have circulated counterfeit coins worth around ₹70 crore over several years, while only about ₹1.28 lakh worth of fake coins were physically recovered during the operation. Officers also claim the group had the capacity to manufacture around 10,000–12,000 counterfeit coins a day.
The coins were allegedly circulated through high-volume cash points such as liquor shops, toll plazas and grocery stores, with distributors reportedly receiving commissions. In an earlier arrest, one distributor was allegedly offered ₹400 for circulating ₹4,000 worth of counterfeit coins.
Police are now conducting raids to trace suspected agents and determine the network’s wider reach across states. The registers and seized devices could prove important in identifying the links between manufacturers, distributors and the final points of circulation.
The counterfeit coins were reportedly lighter than genuine ones, with some reports putting the weight at around 8 grams compared with roughly 10–12 grams for genuine coins examined during the investigation. However, weight alone should not be treated as proof of a coin being counterfeit.
Also read: Viksit Workforce for a Viksit Bharat
Do Follow: The Mainstream LinkedIn | The Mainstream Facebook | The Mainstream Youtube | The Mainstream Twitter
About us:
The Mainstream is a premier platform delivering the latest updates and informed perspectives across the technology business and cyber landscape. Built on research-driven, thought leadership and original intellectual property, The Mainstream also curates summits & conferences that convene decision makers to explore how technology reshapes industries and leadership. With a growing presence in India and globally across the Middle East, Africa, ASEAN, the USA, the UK and Australia, The Mainstream carries a vision to bring the latest happenings and insights to 8.2 billion people and to place technology at the centre of conversation for leaders navigating the future.