Cash, contraband worth over Rs 37 crore seized in Haryana since MCC clamping

Law enforcement agencies have seized about Rs 37 crore in drugs, liquor, unaccounted for cash, and other valubles in Haryana since the Model Code of Conduct for the Lok Sabha elections came into effect on March 16.

The Election Commission along with other enforcement agencies are continuously keeping a strict vigil on the movement of illicit liquor, drugs, and cash, Chief Electoral Officer, Anurag Agarwal said on Tuesday.

Till now, Rs 7.24 crore in cash has been seized. Apart from this, illicit liquor, drugs, and other valuables worth Rs 30.05 crore have also been seized, he said, according to an official statement.

The figure is much higher than the value of items seized in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections of 2014 and 2019, it said.

Among the seizures was 3.87 lakh litres of illicit liquor and narcotics worth Rs 12.55 crore.

Agarwal said that in the 2014 assembly elections, contraband worth Rs 7 crore, consisted of Rs 3.10 crore cash, illicit liquor worth Rs 2.69 crore, and narcotics worth Rs 1.21 crore, were seized.

During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, seizure worth Rs 18.36 were made.

The seizures comprised Rs 2.74 crore cash, illicit liquor worth Rs 6.23 crore, and narcotics worth Rs 9.38 crore, said Agarwal.

He said that during the Assembly Elections 2019, Rs 5.17 crore cash, illicit liquor worth Rs 9.73 crore, and drugs worth Rs 3.27 crore was seized.

Voting for all 10 parliamentary seats in Haryana will be held on May 25 in the sixth phase of elections.