Gun-toting officials stealthily moving inside a building, gun shots and then a dramatic surrender… that’s the image that popular movies and serials have created about agents acting against black money hoarders.
Things may not have become this exciting, but Income Tax Department officials seem to have had some pretty good adventures post-demonetisation.
The Income Tax Department in two separate raids in Bengaluru and Goa seized more than Rs 3 crore. Of the money seized in these raids on Monday and Tuesday, a majority was in recently introduced Rs 2000 currency notes.
According to sources in the department, officers were on a recce in the Yeshwantpur area in Bengaluru when they received a tip off.
Acting on the tip off, more officers were called in. But to their surprise, the apartment was occupied by an old lady with two dogs. Officials claim that the lady was uncooperative and even refused to tie the dogs.
Then, later with the help of local police and residents of the complex, I-T officials entered the apartment. They found a locked room where the cash was kept.
In the raid, unaccounted cash of Rs 2.89 crore of which Rs 2.25 crore was in Rs 2000 notes was seized.
Upon interrogation, it was revealed that the cash belonged to a man would visit the flat in wee hours. The man admitted that the cash was unaccounted after an initial denial.
In another operation, a team disguised as common citizens waited near a village called Kera bordering Goa.
After a long wait, a man in an Aviater scooter, was intercepted. He was carrying Rs 67.98 lacs in new 2000/- currency and was willing to exchange it for a commission. The IT team apprehended the driver and another accomplice.
With the two new raids, the total amount of money seized by the Directorate General of Income-tax (Investigation), Karnataka & Goa in the post-demonetisation period from Karnataka rose to Rs 29.86 crore of which Rs 20.22 crore was in new Rs 2000 notes.
In addition to the cash seized, 41.6 kg of bullion gold and 14 kg of jewellery was also seized.
The Directorate General of Income-tax (Investigation) has also unearthed unaccounted income of Rs 1000 crore in 36 cases.