Rs 5.48 cr cash, other items worth Rs 8.5 cr seized in 3 weeks in poll-bound Arunachal

Itanagar, Apr 5: The security forces confiscated over Rs 5.48 crore in cash in the three weeks since the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into force in poll-bound Arunachal Pradesh, where simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and the Assembly would be held in the first phase on April 19, officials said on Friday.

The officials said that the flying squads and the static surveillance teams deployed by the Election Commission in different parts of Arunachal seized over Rs 5.48 crore in cash, while the cumulative value of the cash and other seized items, including liquor, drugs, expensive metals, and freebies, stood at over Rs 14.05 crore during this period.

The Model Code of Conduct came into force on March 16 after the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedule for the Lok Sabha elections and Assembly polls in four states -- Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, and Odisha.

According to an election official, the surveillance teams along with the police seized cash amounting to Rs 1 crore from Longding district, Rs 22.20 lakh from Itanagar Capital Region, and another Rs 16.10 lakh from East Kameng district during vehicle-checking on Thursday night.