JHANG, Jan 3: Eight employees of both the National Bank and the Muslim Commercial Bank have been taken into custody for interrogation, it was learnt.

Jhang police sources told this correspondent on Thursday that the arrested employees were allegedly involved in the fake currency notes scam.

When contacted, the police officials and the bank authorities did not disclose the names of the arrested employees.

Police have also taken into custody relevant books, ledgers and stamps of both the banks.

Fake currency notes worth thousands of rupees were detected in bundles provided to the police department for salary distribution among its employees.

Some police officials found fake currency notes in their monthly salary packets and reported the matter to the high-ups, who ordered immediate stoppage of distribution and took the remaining amount in their custody.

After recounting and scrutiny Rs0.3 million worth currency notes were found to be fake. The bundles distributed to other departments were also confiscated. NBP main branch authorities told the investigation officer that the Rs31.5 million worth currency notes in bundles were deposited by the MCB on Dec 31.

The NBP officials counted the bundles but did not check the stamps on the notes ‘in good faith’, an official said. After detection of fake currency notes, NBP ordered all its branches to freeze the money deposited by the MCB.

Special teams from the NBP headquarters have reached Jhang to supervise the recounting and scrutiny of the currency notes.

A source told Dawn that the teams have found more fake currency notes.

An MCB spokesman claimed that after depositing the amount in the National Bank, his bank could not be held responsible for the fraud.