Jharkhand police on Saturday seized fake Indian currency notes with a face value of ₹2 crore and arrested two men in Ranchi, exposing what officials suspect is a wider interstate racket.

The seizure took place near New Market Chowk on Ratu Road, when police intercepted three cartons being moved from a bus to a car. Inside, officers discovered 42 bundles of counterfeit ₹500 notes neatly packed in layers.

According to Krishna Kumar Sahu, in-charge of Sukhdev Nagar Police Station, one carton alone contained 20 bundles, each with 300 notes, and another 22 bundles with 350 notes each. The ongoing counting of the remaining cartons is expected to confirm the total fake value at around ₹2 crore.

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The arrested men have been identified as Md Sabir alias Raja (27) and Sahil Kumar alias Karan (32), both Ranchi residents. Police sources said the consignment had arrived from Patna, Bihar, and was meant to be circulated locally.

During interrogation, the duo reportedly confessed that the counterfeit money was being pushed into Jharkhand by a criminal network led by Neeraj Kumar Chaudhary of Delhi. Investigators believe the gang is part of a larger syndicate engaged in flooding markets with forged notes.

Authorities are now tracking possible links in Bihar and Delhi to dismantle the supply chain.

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