A Gujarat bullion trader has been duped of 2.1 kg of gold after unidentified conmen handed over counterfeit currency featuring the face of noted bollywood actor Anupam Kher.

Ahmedabad-based bullion trader, Mehul Thakkar has filed a complaint with the Navrangpura police station, detailing how he was tricked into accepting 26 bundles of counterfeit Rs 500 notes.

The fake currency which conveyed to the trader as Rs 1.90 crore, also labelled "Resole Bank of India," and was presented to his staff in exchange for 2.1 kgs of gold on September 24.

According to police complaints Thakkar, a gold dealer received a call from another manager of a jewellery shop Prashant Patel whom the bullion trader knew. Patel was eager to buy 2.1 kgs of gold, and transaction was pegged at Rs 1.90 crore.

Thakkar instructed his staff to meet Patel at an 'angadia pedhi' (Hawala) office - a traditional money-moving service where they were handed over bundles of what they claimed were Rs 500 notes.

The unsuspecting staff was told to count the 'money' using a machine provided by the trio. Two of them then went out with the gold biscuits on the pretext of fetching the remaining Rs 30 lakh from a neighbouring office, while a third one stayed on.

When the staff sent by Thakkar noticed the currency notes were fake after taking them out from plastic wrap for counting, they questioned the third person, who told them he was there just to deliver the counting machine for 'angadia pedhi', the complainant told the police.

It also later came to light that the 'angadia' office was opened by the accused persons two days before the incident, as per the complaint. An FIR has since been filed against the two unidentified suspects, and police have launched an investigation to track down the culprits behind this unusual con.