Punjab: Gold worth 63 lakh seized in Jalandhar during search drive

Jalandhar Police has seized gold worth 60 lakhs during a search drive under the Phillor police station area, police said on Tuesday.

According to the police, as the Model Code of Conduct is under effect following the Lok Sabha
polls, Jalandhar police held a checking drive and stopped a vehicle when they recovered gold
weighing around 1 kg.

Subsequently, the police informed the GST department after which Excise and Taxation
Officer (ETO) D S Cheema took possession of the gold and examined the documents. Since the
documents were not found to be authentic, the gold was deposited in the government treasury.
Detailing about the incident D S Cheema said that they are keeping an eye on tax evaders and
every anti-social activity related to tax evasion.

He said, "Earlier also a huge amount of gold worth crores had been seized by Mobile Wing
Jalandhar and even today gold worth lakhs has been seized. Police of Phillor police station stopped a suspicious vehicle during a checking drive. From which they recovered gold. The person sitting in the vehicle did not have solid documents related to the gold and the police informed the GST Mobile Wing, Jalandhar."

Further DS Cheema said, "I reached the spot and took possession of the vehicle and gold and
checked the documents which were not found authentic and so the gold was sealed and deposited in the government treasury. Value of the recovered gold is around Rs 63 lakh. The Election Commissioner and Income Tax Department have been informed in this regard."

During the preliminary investigation, the driver of the vehicle said that he had come to Jalandhar to collect gold from Delhi by showing the designs of gold articles to the traders and take orders. But he did not have complete documents related to the gold, he said.