Sambalpur: The Odisha Police on Thursday arrested two persons for allegedly duping people across western Odisha with false promises of employment.

The arrests followed a complaint lodged at Burla police station in Sambalpur district.

SP Mukesh Kumar Bhamoo said the accused, along with other associates, created a fake company claiming it was authorised to provide appointments for sanitation work in four western Odisha districts.

The duo collected Rs 12,000 per applicant from people in Sambalpur, Bargarh, Boudh, and Sonepur districts, promising jobs with a daily wage of Rs 400, he said. The accused allegedly duped unsuspecting job seekers of around Rs 2 crore since October 2024.

“They also returned money to several candidates to gain trust,” Bhamoo added.

Police have seized Rs 62 lakh in cash, mobile phones, and four-wheelers from the two accused, and further investigation is underway.