Man Bahadur Ghalan, 41, of Hariaun Municipality-6 in the district has been arrested in possession of counterfeit currency notes and a machine used in making such fake notes.

A police team raided Ghalan’s apartment on Friday and recovered the machine and various other materials used in making fake currency notes. Along with the printing machine and materials, the security personnel seized Rs 221,000 from the suspect. Police made him public amid a press meet on Saturday.

Police said they arrested Ghalan and seized the fake currency notes based on a tip-off. Ghalan had offered the fake notes to a paralegal to write an application to the District Administration Office on Friday.

According to Police Inspector Diwakar Ghimire, who led the police team to raid Ghalan’s house, the suspect was making the fake currency notes in a rented room in his sister’s house for the past three months. Police said he was found making fake Nepali, Indian and US currency notes.

Ghalan, who stayed for about 10 years in Kolkata, India, returned home this year with the machine and other required materials. During police interrogation, he said he learnt the technique of making fake currency notes in India.

“Even the house owner was unaware of his activities. Ghalan is doubtlessly a professional criminal making counterfeit currency,” Ghimire said.