The 2024 Lok Sabha elections: Between April 19 and June 1, there will be seven rounds of voting in West Bengal. The gold bars came from Bangladesh, which is close by, and were brought in illegally through the border area of North 24 Parganas district. West Bengal police seized drugs, alcohol, cash, and gold worth more than 147 crore rupees.
The 2024 Lok Sabha elections:
An official said on Saturday that since the dates for the Lok Sabha elections were announced this month, more than 7 crore in cash and drugs, alcohol, and other goods worth about 140 crore have been seized in West Bengal.
The Election Commission (EC) said that up until Saturday, about Rs 7.87 crore worth of cash had been recovered. He also said that the EC had collected 12.7 lakh liters of alcohol worth Rs 33.86 crore.
“Drugs weighing around 3.5 kg worth Rs 18.28 crore were also seized,” he added.
He also said that during this time, the poll body took the yellow metal worth Rs 27.32 crore.
“So far, we have also seized goods worth around Rs 36 crore and the total seizure is worth Rs 147.19 crore, including unaccounted cash,” he said.
Bengali groups that care about money
Giving money and drink to get people to vote has been a trend for a few years now. Six Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal have been labeled as “financially sensitive” by the Election Commission. According to an officer, during a naka check on Friday in the Jorabagan region of the city’s north, the Kolkata Police discovered approximately 15 kilogram of gold bars worth Rs 82 lakh and arrested five persons in a car.
Such gold bars must have been sneaked across the border into Bangladesh. He also said, “We are trying to find out if the package was meant for an agent in a gold-smuggling ring in Kolkata or not.”
Gold prices in India reached an all-time high of Rs 68.
The Election Commission claims that commodities worth Rs 140 crore and cash worth Rs 7 crore were confiscated in West Bengal.
In Kolkata Lok Sabha elections:
EC says that since the Lok Sabha elections were announced last month, cash of 7 crore rupees and gold, alcohol, drugs, and other goods worth about 140 crore rupees have been seized in West Bengal.
Six Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal have been labeled as “financially sensitive” by the Election Commission.
The EC has taken back drugs and 12.7 lakh liters of alcohol worth Rs 33.86 crore.
Authorities in West Bengal have seized a huge amount of illegal goods and cash that hasn’t been tracked, worth a total of about Rs 147.19 crore. This is a big operation that happened after the dates for the Lok Sabha elections were announced earlier this month. An cop said on Saturday that the seizures include gold, drugs, alcohol, and other things. This is a big step toward stopping illegal activities before the elections.
This title is meant to protect fair and free elections
Because the Election Commission is so careful. They have been able to seize over Rs 7.87 crore in cash up to Saturday. A staggering 12.7 lakh liters of booze, worth approximately Rs 33.86 crore, were also taken away along with money. Authorities who cracked down on drugs were able to seize about 3.5 kg of drugs worth about Rs 18.28 crore. Gold was one of the most important things that was taken. During this time, the yellow metal was worth Rs 27.32 crore.
The overall value of the things that were taken away was 147.19 crore rupees, which is about 36 crore rupees. This includes the cash that wasn’t accounted for that was found during different activities. Using money and alcohol to sway voters is unethical, and the Election Commission has taken a strong stand against it. This is a problem that has come up in several election cycles. As being financially sensitive and needing extra care. By lowering the chance that money will be used to sway voters.
During a normal naka check, police stopped a car that had about 15 kg of gold bars worth Rs 82 lakh in them. Five people who were involved with this shipment were arrested at the spot.
In Conclusion:
The significant seizure of drugs, alcohol, cash, and gold by the West Bengal police prior to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls underscores the ongoing challenges of illicit activities. This highlights the proactive measures taken by law enforcement to maintain law and order, ensuring the integrity of democratic processes. Such actions are crucial in upholding the sanctity of elections and combating organized crime, contributing to a safer.
Bimal Mardi is a Professional Content Writer. He works in First Santal Broadcast Network TV/ News channel in India. Bimal Mardi writes about Technology, Education and Tech Product Reviews