More stashes of new currency seized across country

In continued post-demonetisation crackdown on black money, stashes of new notes have been seized in several states, including Rs 1.05 crore from a tea seller-turned-financier in Gujarat and nearly Rs 90 lakh in Andhra Pradesh.

Rs 12 lakh were seized by police from three alleged drug smugglers in Punjab while Rs 18 lakh in new currency notes were recovered from Sector 57 in Noida on the outskirts of national capital and three men arrested last evening by a team of Uttar Pradesh Anti Terrorist Squad and Income Tax Department.

The Income Tax department seized alleged unaccounted assets worth Rs 10.50 crore from a former tea seller after raids were conducted against him in Surat.

These included new currency of Rs 1.05 crore, bullion worth Rs 1.49 crore, gold jewellery valued at Rs 4.92 crore, other ornaments worth Rs 1.39 crore and silver ingots priced at Rs 1.28 crore. “The total value of the assets seized from the financier, who earlier worked as a ‘chaiwala’, is Rs 10.50 crore,” I-T sources said. They said of his bank lockers have been opened till now, and there are four more.

The department seized Rs 66 lakh cash, all in new Rs 2000 notes, in Hyderabad. The first incident was reported at the Telugu Academy in Himayatnagar on December 16 when an I-T team intercepted few people who ran into a nearby apartment on seeing the team.

“Search of the apartment led to recovery of Rs 36 lakh cash, all in Rs 2000 denomination. Sources of the cash are being probed into,” I-T sources said. In the second incident in the same city on December 17, department investigators along with police intercepted a speeding Honda Activa in the Tank Bund area. “Cash of Rs 30 lakh in Rs 2000 denomination was found with two persons.The case is being probed,” they said.

More seizured were made in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday as nine persons were detained in Duppada village in Vizianagaram while trying to exchange notes. “Cash worth Rs 18.7 lakh, most of it in new Rs 2,000 denomination and rest in Rs 100 notes, was recovered from them after police raided a house near Palanuru at Duppada junction,” said I Town Circle Inspector P. Sobhan Babu.

A senior official of Excise and Prohibition Department was allegedly found in possession of assets worth about Rs five crore and Rs seven lakh in Rs 2,000 notes were also seized from him, Anti-Corruption Bureau sources said on Sunday.

Cash totalling Rs 58,000 in new curreny was also seized from two customs officials in Pallia town on India-Nepal border last night, UP police said on Sunday.