₹37.64 lakh in ₹5-₹20 notes seized in Howrah station, man claims delivery for Varanasi courier

A man identified as Tunu Kumar Yadav, a resident of Bali in Howrah, was arrested after Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel recovered ₹37.64 lakh in cash from him at Howrah station on Tuesday. The arrest was made on platform number 8 during a routine preventive check under Operation Satak conducted by the Crime Intelligence Branch.

Officials said the seized money consisted largely of newly printed ₹5, ₹10 and ₹20 notes. During interrogation, Yadav claimed he was carrying the bags to deliver them to a man named Ram Swaroop from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. He said he had been instructed to send the consignment to Varanasi via the rear SLR of train number 13009 UP.

Yadav further stated that the bags had been handed over to him by Ram Swaroop of BRR Courier Service in Varanasi and that he had not checked the contents. Investigators are now probing how such a large amount of small-denomination currency was sourced and whether the consignment was linked to any illegal circulation network.

The RPF has detained Yadav for further questioning and has initiated a detailed inquiry to track the origin of the cash and verify the role of the alleged Varanasi contact. The seized currency has been secured as evidence while the investigation continues.