Gold rush, pile of cash in TN and Pondy: Flying squads have a busy time across the state

A static surveillance team intercepted a van in Dadagapatty Gate in Salem district and conducted a check, which revealed the presence of 73.5 kgs of gold and silver jewellery worth Rs 10.40 lakh.

The officials seized the jewellery and brought them to the Corporation office, where the Collector and Returning Officer Rohini Bhajibhakare examined them.

Meanwhile, the jewellers produced all required documents for transporting the seized jewellery, which were brought to Coimbatore from Mumbai by flight and then taken to the southern districts by road. After scrutiny, the jewels were handed over to its owners.

In another incident near Palladam in Tirupur district, officials of a flying squad stopped a van and checks revealed the presence of Rs 10 crore worth cash. It was claimed that the cash belonged to a private bank and was being transported from Coimbatore to Pudukottai.

However, as they did not have proper supporting documents, the cash was seized and handed over to the election officials at Palladam Taluk Office. The Income Tax department has been holding an inquiry on the cash seizure.

Puducherry District Election Officer and Collector T Arun on Thursday said a sum of Rs 66 lakh was seized by the flying squad officials, of which, Rs 64 lakh have been returned on production of supporting documents. So far, no cash was seized from any political party volunteers, he added. “As many as 37 nominations were received for the elections in Puducherry, of which 19 were rejected on scrutiny. Friday is the last date for withdrawal of nomination papers,” Arun told reporters here. “The list of contesting candidates would be released on Friday evening and the symbols for independents would be allotted too,” he added. He said as many as 392 persons were identified as those who may cause breach of peace here. Of them, 65 were prohibited from entering the town till the election process was over and three were arrested under the goondas act. Arun said as many as 26,000 banners and posters in Puducherry district were removed and 2,600 election-related complaints were received on the toll-free helpline and the cVIGIL app.

Flying squad officials on Thursday seized a total of Rs 12.8 lakh cash in four separate incidents in Kancheepuram district. In the first incident in Maduranthagam, the officials seized Rs 5 lakh cash from two fruit vendors, Kalidas (40) from Tindivanam and Samminathan (52) from Marakanam, who claimed they were going to pay advance for buying fruits. In the second incident, a flying squad stopped a lorry from Andhra Pradesh and found Indesh Basha (38), a wholesale tender coconut businessman, travelling withRs 2 lakh. In both the incidents, the money was handed over to the Maduranthagam treasury. In the third incident, officials seized Rs 3.75 lakh cash from a man at OMR near Pooncherry. In the fourth incident, a flying at OMR intercepted a car of Sweden citizen Deviyanada Gupta, who was staying in Puducherry, and seized US dollars worth over Rs 2.05 lakh from him. In both the incidents, the money was handed over to the treasury.