Salem: In a major seizure during vehicle searches by election officials, a static surveillance team stumbled on 73-Kg of gold and silver jewels packed in several boxes in a car that was checked near Kondalampatti on the Salem bypass late on Wednesday night.
Disclosing this to reporters here on Thursday, Salem district collector Ms Rohini Bhajubhakare said as the officials had doubts about the documents adduced by the occupants of the car for the jewellery, they contacted the Income-Tax department officials to check the claims. The occupants had said that the jewels were from a jewel merchant in Mumbai meant for distribution to retail outlets in several districts of Tamil Nadu.
Ms. Rohini said the I-T officials had checked the consignment. Later in the evening, the 73-kg gold and silver ornaments seized were returned to the concerned people after verifying the documents adduced to the I-T department.
Besides the latest haul, Ms Rohini said poll flying squads and surveillance teams have so far during vehicle checks seized Rs 4.73 crore in cash, 3.90-kg gold and 75-kg silver jewellery from various people who were transporting them without sufficient documents.
