Illicit trade items worth Rs. 42.5 crore seized ahead of LS polls in Manipur

Imphal: Illicit trade items worth approximately Rs. 4,250.76 lakh were seized by law enforcement agencies in the operations launched in this sensitive border state from March 1, 2024, till April 4, 2024.

The seizures were made from the numerous anti-social activities.

Pradeep Kumar Jha, Chief Electoral Officer, Manipur stated this in a press statement issued on Friday.

The operations were launched under two-pronged strategies in the name and style of the agency seizure and intercepted seizure.

The operations were also carried out ahead of the Lok Sabha elections slated in the Inner Manipur Parliamentary and Outer Manipur PC reserved for Scheduled tribes seats on April 19, and April 26, the CEO said.

Pradeep K Jha further stated that the State Police Department seized illicit trade items worth  Rs. 197.31 lakh, the State Excise Department seized Rs. 18.4 lakh, the Customs Department Rs. 2,922.65 lakh, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence Rs. 435 lakh, the State Goods and Services Tax/Commercial Tax Rs. 77.18 and Central Goods and Services Rs. 600 lakh.

Illicit trade refers to the illegal exchange of goods, services, or commodities that circumvent established laws, regulations, or controls set by governments or international bodies.

These activities occur outside the legal framework and often involve various forms of contraband, counterfeiting, piracy, smuggling, tax evasion, Money Laundering, and other illicit activities.