Puri, Nov 20: Police in the pilgrimage town of Puri detained a woman tourist for allegedly attempting to use fake currency at a shop, triggering concern among local traders and residents, a source said Thursday.

According to police, the incident occurred in the Kumbharapada police station area on Wednesday when a woman from West Bengal allegedly purchased ice cream worth Rs 40 from a shop and paid with a fake Rs 200 note.

The shopkeeper, Arun Kumar Sahoo, initially failed to notice the counterfeit due to the rush, but later became suspicious and apprehended the woman.

Police arrived at the spot and searched the woman’s bag, from which they recovered several counterfeit notes in denominations of Rs 100, Rs 200, and Rs 500. She was later taken into custody for questioning.

Puri Superintendent of Police Prateek Singh said that preliminary examination suggested the seized notes were “fun or novelty notes,” commonly used for entertainment purposes. However, further verification is underway.

Also Read: Bhadrak Youth Arrested In Connection With Fake Currency Note Racket In UP Madrasa

The incident has sparked local discussion, as Puri has witnessed instances of counterfeit currency circulation in the past. Traders said the case has raised concerns about fake notes being used in the busy tourism season.

Police are investigating whether the incident was a simple case of cheating or linked to a larger racket.

Noteworthy Past Fake-Note Seizures in Odisha

The counterfeit currency network has surfaced in Odisha multiple times over recent years.

On March 24, 2025, the police seized bundles of 500-rupee notes amounting to Rs 1.93 lakh in the state capital.

On September 3, 2023, a suspect was arrested in Sonpur, and nearly Rs 41 lakh worth of counterfeit currency was seized by the STF.

On April 8, 2023, a case related to the counterfeit currency business came to light in Baripada involving abduction, with seven arrests made.

On September 12, 2022, in Rourkela, Rs 16 lakh worth of counterfeit notes were seized.