Half a million, but not worth the paper they are printed on...
 

by Asanga Warnakulasuriya

Padukka Police on Tuesday busted a massive counterfeit note printing racket and arrested three suspects who had allegedly maintained a sophisticated computerised printing press managed in the guise of a screen printing operation for billboards.

Police also seized Rs. 475,500 'worth' counterfeit bills from the suspects, in Rs.500 denomination. Police said the main suspect was arrested on a tip-off received when police nabbed another suspect who tried to change a counterfeit Rs. 500 note in Galagedara, Padukka on Monday.

Police who searched the suspect found another five bills in his possession.

Police who raided the shop, operating as a screen printing advertising agency, seized a state of the art laser scanner and laser printing machinery along with other computer peripherals used by the suspects. Padukka Police have received information that Rs. 500 counterfeit notes printed by the same suspect are being circulated in Homagama.