The Income Tax department has had its hands full this election season, with various incidents of cash being seized from across the country. In its latest haul, the department busted Rs 2.3 crore in cash from the spare tyre of a car travelling from Bengaluru to Shivamogga in Karnataka.
The tax department received intelligence about cash being transported from the Karnataka capital to Shivamogga on Saturday. Officials intercepted a cash handler and searched his vehicle. The cash was found stuffed in the spare tyre of the vehicle.
In a video, officials are seen sitting on the floor of a room with the tyre. While one official holds up the tire, another official takes out bundles of Rs 2,000 notes. The video pans to a table, where more than 20 bundles recovered from the tyre are kept.
"Based on credible intelligence that cash would be transported from Bengaluru to Shimoga and Bhadravati, a cash handler was intercepted and his vehicle was searched. Cash in Rs. 2,000 denomination has been found stuffed inside the wheel of the vehicle," the tax department said in a statement.
#WATCH: Rs 2.30 cr in cash stuffed inside the spare tire in a car seized by Income-Tax officials. The cash was being transported from Bengaluru to Shivamogga. #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/yUeRdKVyzY
- ANI (@ANI) April 20, 2019
"The intelligence suggested that the person is accumulating cash for distribution for election purposes. A seizure of Rs. 1 crore has been made so far in this case," the department said. "Both these were cases where the seized cash was meant for distribution during elections."
"What is interesting is that the persons in charge of cash transport and distribution had removed several notes from each bundle: an average of four notes were removed from each bundle of 100 notes of Rs. 2,000 denomination, showing leakages even in this illegal cash distribution," the tax department said.
The cash seized from the tyres was part of Rs 4 crore that the tax department seized across Karnataka and Goa on Saturday.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world