Chandigarh: The Enforcement Directorate today seized Rs 2.19 crore from here as part of its operation to check hawala trade in the wake of demonetisation. Officials said the sleuths of the agency swooped down on the premises of the cloth trader and few other locations here, based on a tip off received by them about huge illegal currency stashing.

While the ED said Rs 18 lakh in new notes was recovered, Punjab Police said Rs 69.35 lakh in new currency was recovered during the raid. The action has been taken under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and the searches are still on, they said.