Two men, who police said are originally from Assam, were arrested near Maidan for allegedly carrying counterfeit currency notes that have a face value of Rs 10 lakh.
An officer of the special task force of Kolkata police said that based on specific information, a team of officers zeroed in on the two suspects at the Dufferin Road and Mayo Road crossing on Monday afternoon.
“While frisking the two, high-quality counterfeit Indian currency notes of the face value of Rs 10 lakh were found,” said the officer.
The police identified the two accused persons as Abdul Rejjak Khan, 40, and Shahar Ali, 43, both from Barpeta district in Assam.
The duo was formally arrested around 6.30pm on Monday when it was established that the currency notes found in their possession were “fake.”
The cops said they were trying to ascertain the receiver of the fake notes.
“We are trying to find out if they are part of a larger racket that is trying to pump in fake currency notes in the economy to weaken it,” said a senior officer of the STF.
The arrested duo was produced before a court in the city on Tuesday and was remanded in police custody.