Five lakh in scrapped Turkish currency seized near E-City

Credit: DH

Two men were caught trying to sell scrapped Turkish currency at Velankanni Circle in Southeast Bengaluru on Sunday, Electronics City police said. Ninety-seven 97 notes with a face value of 5 lakh in Turkish Old Lira (TRL) were seized from them.

Satyavelu, 55, of Krishnagiri, and Saravana, 38, of Dharmapuri, had allegedly stolen the notes from a KSRTC bus passenger travelling from Hosur to Bengaluru on Sunday morning, police said.

Turkey abolished the old lira in 2005 and replaced it with New Turkish Lira (YTL) but the scrapped currency found its way around the world, with scammers trying to sell it to gullible people.