The Polpithigama Police which conducted an investigation into finding several counterfeit notes arrested an owner of a gold jewellery shop in Polpithigama together with a woman in connection with the incident. They had also seized 37 counterfeit 1000 rupee notes.
The Police uncovered the fake note racket after investigating an incident after two counterfeit 1000 rupee notes were submitted by an army personnel and his wife who came to the Galtanwala petrol station in Polpithigama in a three-wheeler to purchase fuel.
The pump attendant at the fuel station who on close scrutiny discovered that the serial number in both the 1000 rupee notes were identical had informed his manager, who in turn had lodged a complaint with the Police.
Officers from the Polpithigama Police who came to the petrol station took the soldier and his wife into custody for questioning.
The soldier and wife had said they paid for the petrol from the money obtained from the jewellery shop after pawning a gold chain.
Later, the Police had sent an officer as a decoy to pawn a gold item and had found a fake 1000 rupee note among the money given by the jewellery shop owner.
The owner of the jewellery shop had told Police that a woman came and bought a gold ring and a watch in the morning and paid Rs. 7,000 in Rs. 1,000 notes.
The Police had later arrested the 61-year-old woman on information received from the jewellery shop owner and found 30 fake 1000 rupee notes in her possession. She had told the Police that she had found a bundle of 1000 rupee notes lying on the road and had taken it. Further investigations are continuing.