DELHI: The ongoing Lok Sabha elections in India have witnessed the Election Commission of India (ECI) launch a resolute and coordinated attack against the influence of money and inducements. As a result, various agencies have made astounding seizures amounting to a staggering Rs 8,889 crore.
The ECI said: “Enhanced vigilance against inducements, including drugs and psychotropic substances, has resulted in big seizure actions and a continuous surge. The drug seizure has been the maximum of all, with a 45 per cent share worth Rs 3,958 crore.”
Intelligence-based coordinated action, constant review, and ESMS-enabled live monitoring resulted in record-breaking confiscations
Election Commission of India
According to the ECI, regular follow-ups, reviews of districts and agencies in areas of expenditure monitoring, precise data interpretation, and active participation of enforcement agencies have resulted in this significant rise in seizures since March 1.
Rs 849.15 cr cash, liquor worth Rs 814 cr, precious metals valued at Rs 1,260.33 cr seized
As per the ECI data, of the total of Rs 8,889 crore, only Rs 849.15 crore has been seized in cash. Over 5.39 crore liters of liquor worth Rs 814 crore have been confiscated during this election period. Besides, precious metals worth Rs 1,260.33 crore and freebies and other items valued at Rs 2,006.56 crore have also been seized.
Gujarat recorded the largest seizures with a combined sum of Rs 1,461.73, followed by Rajasthan with Rs 1,133.82 crore and Punjab with Rs 734.54 crore. It is worth mentioning that this is the highest seizure ever recorded in the 75-year history of Lok Sabha elections.
ECI lays special focus on narcotics and psychotropic substances
The EC further stated that a special emphasis was laid on narcotics and psychotropic substances. An analysis of the data found that states and union territories that used to be transit zones are now evolving into consumption territories.
Earlier, while addressing the nodal agencies during one of the review visits, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar said: “Precise intel-based collaborative efforts by agencies against drugs and narcotics is the need of the hour to root out the role of dirty money in the drug trade in elections and, more importantly and holistically, to save the future of youth and thereby, country.” The seizure of drugs amounts to Rs 3,958 crore, accounting for 45 per cent of the total seizures, thus emphasizing his argument.
The Commission, led by CEC Rajiv Kumar, along with election commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, held meetings with the DG of the Narcotics Control Bureau to discuss implementing analytics-driven proactive measures to ensure the NCB’s dedicated Nodal Officers take appropriate action.
The active participation of DRI, the Indian Coast Guard, state police, and other agencies played a crucial role in facilitating substantial seizures, the ECI statement added.
A suspected Pakistani fishing boat named ‘Alraza’ was apprehended by a joint force in Indian waters, approximately 180 nautical miles off the coast of Porbandar, Gujarat.
The boat was carrying 14 crew members, all of whom were Pakistani nationals. The collaborative effort between the Gujarat ATS and the Narcotics Control Bureau (Operations), New Delhi, resulted in the seizure of 78 boxes containing contraband believed to be heroin. The total weight of the confiscated substance was approximately 86 kilograms, with an estimated value of nearly Rs. 602 crore in the international market.
Following the interception, both the boat and its crew were transported to Porbandar to undergo further legal procedures.
The Gujarat ATC, Indian Coast Guard, and NCB seized 173 kg of hashish worth Rs 60.5 crore on April 29, 2024.
Leave a comment