Lok Sabha polls: Rs 7 crore in cash, drugs, alcohol, gold worth Rs 140 crore seized in Bengal

According to data released by the Election Commission, the amount of cash seized till March 30 was around Rs 7.87 crore

PTI, Calcutta, 31.03.24 : Gold, drugs, alcohol and various goods worth around Rs 140 crore and more than Rs 7 crore in cash were seized in West Bengal since the dates for the Lok Sabha polls were announced this month, an officer said Saturday.

According to data released by the Election Commission, the amount of cash seized till Saturday was around Rs 7.87 crore.

The EC also seized 12.7 lakh litres of alcohol with a market value of Rs 33.86 crore, he added.

"Drugs weighing around 3.5 kg worth Rs 18.28 crore were also seized," he said.

The poll body also seized the yellow metal worth Rs 27.32 crore during this period, the official said.

"So far, we have also seized goods worth around Rs 36 crore and the total seizure is worth Rs 147.19 crore, including unaccounted cash," he added.

There has been a trend of offering money and alcohol to buy votes for several years.

The Election Commission has declared six Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal as 'financially sensitive'.

Meanwhile, the Kolkata Police, during a naka checking in Jorabagan area in the northern part of the city on Friday, seized around 15 kg of gold bars worth Rs 82 lakh and arrested five people who were travelling in a vehicle, an officer said.

An initial investigation revealed that the gold bars were smuggled from neighbouring Bangladesh through the border area of North 24 Parganas district, he added.

"It seems that these gold bars were smuggled through the Bangladesh border. We are trying to find out whether the consignment was meant for any agent belonging to any gold smuggling racket in Kolkata or not," he added.