Rs 5 crore cash, 15 kg gold seized at 4 airports since demonetization
Representational Image. Courtesy: CISF
Over Rs 5 crore in cash and 15 kg of gold has been seized by agencies at the country’s four major airports post the demonetization of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes by the government last week.
According to officials, a special surveillance was initiated by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the air intelligence units of the Income Tax department and the interceptions have been made at Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Guwahati airports from November 10.
“The total cash and gold intercepted since November 10 is about Rs 5 crore. While the currency is all in the scrapped denomination of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000, the gold detected as suspicious is about 15.62 kilogramme,” they said.
A circular issued to the CISF earlier asked officials to carefully scan all baggage, intercept large quantities of cash and report them to the I-T department for further investigation.
“These figures and instances are under investigation and we are looking if there is a tax evasion angle to it,” a senior tax department official told PTI.
The special drive was launched after the Finance Ministry had written to the police and paramilitary forces, asking them to maintain vigil and check the movement of huge cash, especially the demonetized 500 and 1,000 rupee notes at civil airports, metro, railway stations and bus stations.
The CISF, which handles security at 59 airports across the country, also detained 34 passengers at airports.
