Mumbai Police Bust Interstate Fake Stamp Racket, Seize Counterfeit Postal Stamps Worth Rs 27.84 Lakh

Mumbai Police have unearthed a major organised interstate racket that was quietly undermining the government’s postal system. The Mata Ramabai Marg (MRA Marg) Police busted a network involved in printing and supplying counterfeit postal stamps across multiple states and seized fake stamps worth Rs 27.84 lakh. Investigators have also found that suspicious transactions worth Rs 7 to Rs 8 crore were routed through various bank accounts linked to the syndicate.

The case came to light on September 12, 2025, after a 42-year-old postal inspector posted at the Mumbai General Post Office (GPO) lodged a complaint regarding unusual circulation patterns and irregular serial numbers on postal stamps. Following the complaint, the police initiated a detailed technical and financial probe.

The investigation revealed that counterfeit postal stamps were being distributed to several states through courier networks. A joint technical examination conducted by the police and Mumbai GPO officials found discrepancies in print quality, paper material and serial numbering, confirming that the stamps were fake.

Police first arrested one आरोपी from Mumbai, during whose interrogation the trail led to Samastipur in Bihar, resulting in the arrest of two more accused. Multiple bank accounts were identified during the probe, showing suspicious entries running into crores of rupees. To evade arrest, the alleged mastermind frequently changed mobile phones, SIM cards and locations.

Acting on specific intelligence inputs, an MRA Marg Police team camped in the Delhi-NCR region for 14 days, maintaining round-the-clock surveillance, and eventually arrested two key accused. A large consignment of counterfeit postal stamps, meant for distribution across the country, was recovered from their possession.

So far, a total of five accused have been arrested from Mumbai, Bihar, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. Police suspect that several other members of the racket are still absconding, and raids are underway in multiple states to track them down.

Senior police officials said the circulation of fake postal stamps caused direct revenue losses to the Central Government. The racket had been operational for a long time and functioned on a nationwide scale. Further investigation in the case is ongoing.