Enforcement agencies have seized Rs 244 crore cash in poll-bound Rajasthan in the last 15 days, Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Gupta said on Tuesday.
He said that a strict vigil is being maintained by the police, excise, income tax and other enforcement agencies in view of the Assembly elections in the state, and a "new record" has been made in the seizure of illegal cash, liquor, drugs, gold, silver etc.
Due to the coordination and promptness of the Election Commission, the seizure figure in 2023 has crossed Rs 1,000 crore, Gupta said, adding that since June, the Commission has been working in direct coordination with all the enforcement agencies, and cash and other material worth Rs 648 crore have been seized since then.
In the last 15 days (from October 9 till now), Rs 39.30 crore in cash was seized by the police, Income Tax Department and other agencies. Similarly, over 10.60 lakh litre of illicit liquor worth Rs 20.12 crore was seized by the Excise Department, police, GST Department and RPF, he said.
Further, drugs and psychotropic substances worth over Rs 46.76 crore were seized by the Narcotics Control Bureau, police and other agencies. Gold, silver and other precious metals worth Rs 30.40 crore were seized by agencies.
Freebies and other items worth Rs 84.22 crore have also been seized by various agencies.
The official said that due to the activeness of the enforcement agencies, this year there has been a three-fold increase in the total seizure, which was Rs 322 crore in 2021, Rs 347 crore in 2022 and Rs 1,021 crore so far in 2023.