8 arrested in Odisha with Rs 1.42 crore cash

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha police on Sunday seized Rs 1.42 crore from a scrapped currency exchange racket and arrested eight persons, including a State Bank of India employee, in this connection. Acting on a tip-off about firearms being carried in a car in Sambalpur, the police intercepted the vehicle carrying the weapons. Upon further search, currencies stashed in four bags were found.

“Among the seized amount, Rs 85 lakh are mostly of Rs 2,000 denomination. Apart from this, Rs 24 lakh scrapped notes have been seized,” Sambalpur superintendent of police (SP) Akhileswar Singh said.

“The group said 25 per cent to 30 per cent commission is being charged for exchange of old notes,” the officer added.