Bhubaneswar, Nov 19: Saheed Nagar Police on Wednesday busted a well-organised group of middlemen operating inside the RTO-I office at Acharya Vihar, arresting nine individuals accused of posing as official staff and extorting money from the public.

According to the Bhubaneswar DCP, the accused had been targeting applicants seeking driving licences, NOCs, vehicle registrations and other transport-related services. They allegedly intercepted visitors, obstructed access to authorised officials and demanded sums far higher than the government-approved fees.

Investigators said the arrested individuals also lured citizens with false assurances of quick insurance processing, fitness certificates and registrations. During the raid, police seized nine laptops and two printers believed to have been used in the fraudulent activities.

The DCP added that strict action will continue against middlemen operating in and around government offices, urging citizens to rely only on official channels for RTO services.