Telangana: Cash, liquor, gold/silver, drugs worth Rs 101 crore seized in eight days

Hyderabad: Telangana police seized Rs 55.99 crore in cash, precious metals worth Rs 38.45 crore, liquor worth Rs 2.60 crore, and other contrabands total worth Rs 101 crore for the short period of eight days since the election Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into force for the November 30 Assembly elections in Telangana.

According to the police, in its commitment to ensuring free, fair, and peaceful conduct of the elections, it has intensified its citywide enforcement efforts against illicit money, drugs, liquor, freebies, and other inducements. The police seized illicit cash of Rs 55,99,26,994, liquor worth Rs 2,60,57,004, precious metals (gold 72.06 kgs, silver 429.1 kgs, and diamond 42.25 carats) total worth Rs 38,45,44,526, ganja of 1234 kg and other contraband worth Rs 3,42,84,275 and other freebies Rs 70,04,500 all worth of Rs 101,18,17,299 across the State.

Since the MCC came into effect, as per the guidelines of the Election Commission of India, police formed 373 Flying Squads (FS), 374 Static Surveillance Teams (SST), and 95 State internal border check posts besides mobile parties of local police to curb illegal transportation of cash and precious metals, liquor, freebies.

Police said, during the 2018 Assembly elections a total of about Rs 103 crore was seized for the total MCC period. Thus, it is revealed that there is a huge flow of cash, precious metals, and liquor, leading to a recovery of Rs 101 crore for this short period. Hence, all the members of the political parties are requested to adhere to the MCC issued by the Election Commission of India for the smooth conduct of elections.