Jaipur, Oct 2 : A major counterfeit currency racket was busted in Jhalrapatan as a husband-wife duo was arrested for printing and distributing fake currency notes.

The operation, led jointly by the Jhalawar District Special Team (DST) and Chandigarh Police, resulted in the seizure of counterfeit notes worth Rs 12.20 lakh.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Jitendra Sharma (40) and his wife, Rajni Sharma (37).

Both are originally from Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, and have been living on rent for the past five months at the Chandravati Growth Centre in the Jhalrapatan police station area.

According to Superintendent of Police Amit Kumar, the breakthrough came after Chandigarh Police arrested two men, Gaurav and Vikram, on September 29 for circulating fake Rs 500 notes.

Gaurav was found with 1,646 counterfeit notes, and Vikram had 392, totalling over Rs 10.19 lakh. The duo had been attempting to pass off the fake notes in exchange for real currency.

During the interrogation, it was revealed that the fake notes had been received via courier. The parcels bore fake names and addresses, with origins traced to Bakani town in Jhalawar district.

Acting on this lead, a Chandigarh Police team coordinated with the Jhalawar DST to investigate further. Over 100 CCTV recordings from local courier centres were analysed, eventually identifying Rajni Sharma as the woman who sent the parcel.

A late-night raid was conducted on Wednesday at the couple's rented accommodation, where police recovered fake currency notes amounting to Rs 12.20 lakh, along with equipment used in the production process.

Items seized included a laptop, colour printer, cutter, ink, printing paper, and a screen frame imager.

Police revealed the couple was part of a larger counterfeit currency syndicate, using courier services to discreetly supply fake notes to their associates in other cities.

Both accused have been arrested, and the seized materials have been handed over to the Chandigarh Police, who have taken the couple into custody for further investigation.

/IANS