Gujarat Election 2022: Cash, drugs and liquor worth over Rs 290 crore seized in Gujarat

Cash, drugs, liquor and gifts worth over Rs 290 crore have been seized in the poll-bound state of Gujarat so far, which is 10 times more than the seizures made during the entire 2017 assembly elections in the state. Elections are going to be held in two phases on December 1 and 5 in Gujarat. According to the Election Commission, its planning and monitoring through various enforcement agencies has resulted in record seizures during the election process in the state. A significant "ongoing seizure process of huge consignment of drugs" is being led by a team of ATS Gujarat officials who are carrying out an operation in Vadodara (Rural) and Vadodara City.

The team has identified two mephedrone drug manufacturing units and detected 143 kg of mephedrone (synthetic drug) worth approximately Rs 478 crore. They have detained five persons from Nadiad and Vadodara and a criminal case under relevant sections of the NDPS Act, 1985 is being registered at ATS Police Station, Ahmedabad.

Election Commission said, the campaign is going on and complete information will be made available after the completion of the campaign. The total seizure in the 2017 Gujarat Assembly elections was Rs 27.21 crore. While this time the total seizure till November 29 was Rs 290.24 crore, which is 10.66 times of the seizure in 2017.

Drugs worth Rs 61.96 crore have been recovered apart from the seized banned drugs in the operation being conducted by the Gujarat ATS. The Election Commission data said that over four lakh liters of liquor worth Rs 14.88 crore has been recovered from the dry state.