Everyone is looking to make a little extra money these days. A counterfeit toll plaza on a highway in India cheated commuters and the government for nearly two years.
The fake toll plaza was constructed on private land on the Bamanbore-Kutch national highway in Gujarat, India. The toll booths sidestepped the national highway, imposed a 50 percent fee and fooled unsuspecting commuters, law enforcement and government officials for one-and-a-half years.
The fraudulent toll collection operation evaded detection since culprits were able to skillfully redirect traffic away from the legitimate route, utilizing land owned by the defunct White House Ceramic Company.
Law enforcement eventually lodged a complaint against the factory owner, Amarshi Patel, and four accomplices — Vanraj Singh Jhala, Harvijay Singh Jhala, Dharmendra Singh Jhala, and Yuvraj Singh Jhala, for the illegal booth.
“We received information that some vehicles were being diverted from the actual route of the Varghasia toll plaza and toll tax was being collected. The police and other officials reached the spot to investigate and filed a detailed complaint,” local district Collector GT Pandya said.