The Government Railway Police seized Rs. 38.5 lakh in cash from a person here on Wednesday. Chinni Manikanta (30), son of Jamalaiah and resident of Gollapudi, was seen roaming near Pinakini Express at platform No. 1 under suspicious circumstances.
When the GRP officials approached him, he was not able to give any convincing reply. The officials, on checking a bag that he was carrying, found the cash.
On questioning, he was not able to produce any receipt or documents. Manikanta, however, told the cash was given by his owner to procure gold from Chennai, the police, quoting him, said.
GRP Superintendent of Police Ch. Syam Prasad said that this has been a regular modus operandi of jewellers. “They carry huge amount of cash to procure gold from the grey markets in Chennai and Mumbai. In the last one year we have seized about Rs. 2 crore worth of gold and cash from about five such cases,” he said.
The jewellers procure gold, which mostly likely is smuggled stuff, to evade tax for making more profit. “They either procure the gold in the form of biscuits, bars or ornaments. Apart from keeping a vigil in the station, we keep a tab on the movement of such persons who are in our radar,” he said.
The person along with the cash has been handed over to the Income Tax Department authorities.
