Narcotics seizures show deep poll rot

| | New Delhi
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Narcotics seizures show deep poll rot

Sunday, 09 December 2018 | Rajesh Kumar | New Delhi

Narcotics seizures show deep poll rot

Liquor, drugs’ use during elections worrying factor

Besides the failure of demonetisation to check the rampant use of black money in the just-concluded Assembly elections in the five States, the alarming haul of drugs and narcotics has been the most worrying factor. From heroin to brown sugar to anti-depressants, the `17-crore haul indicated how deep the problem is. As for the cash recoveries by the Election Commission (EC), barring Chhattisgarh, the seizures — besides gold and silver — almost doubled since the last Assembly polls in the other four States this time.

Of the seizures of over `300 crore, `170 crore was cash, with Telangana leading the way accounting for `115 crore. The Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram was thus one heady mix of cash, jewellery, liquor and drugs/narcotics.

Interestingly, Chhattisgarh is the only State where overall seizure of cash, jewellery, drugs and liquor is lower this year as compared to the last Assembly polls in 2013.

As per the EC’s data, apart from the recovery of unaccounted `300 crore cash from the five States during the election campaign, jewellery, gold, silver and platinum accounted for `25.39 crore.

Booze flowed freely in the States as the recoveries were whopping 17.29 lakh litres worth `53.51 crore. The value of other items, including vehicles and illegal arms, stood at `31.35 crore.

But then, besides liquor, the new and the most disturbing trend that was observed this Assembly election was the use of drugs and narcotics in the five States during polls. The haul included brown sugar, smack, opium, ganja, cocaine, denatonium benzoate, methamphetamine, heroin, tablets of antidepressants Alprazolam and Tramadol. All this worth `16.85 crore.

In Telangana, the EC’s seizure stood at `137 crore which included `115.16 crore in cash and 689 gram diamond, 147 gram platinum, 18 kg gold,106 kg silver worth `6.70 crore. As much as 3,754 kg drugs (ganja, denatonium benzoate, cocaine, brown sugar, opium, afeem doodh) were seized since the announcement of election schedule in the first week of October.

Former Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat has pointed out that demonetisation didn’t reduce the use of misuse of black money in elections. Apart from cash, over 10 lakh litres of liquor worth `15 crore was seized across Telangana over the last one month.

The amount of money seized this year is nearly `50 crore more than the amount seized during the 2014 Assembly elections held for the combined Andhra Pradesh.

According to the Commission, it has made seizures worth `72.29 crore unaccounted money in MP during polls. This included `30.93 crore in cash; 5.98 lakh litre of liquor worth `14.27 crore and 341 kg of drug worth `5.80 crore. Apart from that, 27 kg gold jewellery, 1,024 kg silver jewellery and 153 moti worth `10.47 crore apparently meant for luring voters has been seized during MP polls campaign this year.

During the last year, the total seized money in cash was `257.61crore here. As per data, 652 actions were taken by Income Tax Department which led to surrender of `50 crore in the State.

In Rajasthan, the Commission made seizures of nearly `86. 46 crore which included `15.04 crore in cash; 6.04 lakh litre of liquor worth `39.49 crore; 38,572 kg drugs/narcotics including 5 lakh tablets of anti-depressants Alprazolam and Tramadol, 668 kg ganja, 21 kg opium, 23413 kg doda posth, 200 gram brown sugar and 8 kg smack. Apart from that 18 kg gold ornaments, 700 kg silver worth `7 crore was also seized in Rajasthan. There is rise of 40 per cent of seizure money and valuables since 2013 polls.

Interestingly, as per data, number of total amount of money seized in Chhattisgarh is lower this year as compared to last Assembly polls in 2013. Nearly `14.28 crore was seized in the State including `5.38 crore in cash besides 1.37 lakh litre of liquor worth `2 crore; 22.16 kg ganja; 37 kg silver and 500 gram fold items and other items worth `6.64 crore. During the last Assembly polls, seizures worth `16.8 crore including cash, liquor and drugs was seized in Chhattisgarh.

As far as Mizoram is concerned, seizures worth `5.50 crore were made which include `43 lakh in cash; 20 kg drugs/narcotics including 998 gram heroine and 10.08 kg of methamphetamine.

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