CHENNAI : Chennai city have police arrested three persons on charges of cheating people through a `currency doubling' racket.

Police said B Gopal, alias "Kattu" Gopal, (56), of Adambakkam Ramakrishna Street along with two of his associates Rasool Khan and Ayub Khan of Tondiarpet defrauded people by promising to repay double or more of what was given to them.

Explaining the modus operandi, a senior officer said Gopal was trained in cutting plain white paper precisely and packing them in such a way that it resembled a bundle of genuine currency. He would place an original 100-rupee note on top of each pack of 100 "notes," with plain white paper making up the rest. A coat of paint around these bundles, comprising 10 packs, added to the impression that they were real.

Gopal, who had agents in Chennai city and other parts, lured customers to a lodge to strike a deal. He would receive Rs one lakh in cash from his customer and in turn hand over Rs three lakh - actually, only 30 100-rupee notes.

The entire deal would be over in a few minutes, as the parties would be eager to leave fearing a police raid.

On a tip-off, the special team arrested Gopal and his two associates in Wall Tax Road on Saturday and remanded them to custody. They also seized six bundles from the accusedFurther investigation is on.

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