Over Rs 51 crore worth of alcohol, drugs, cash seized in Meghalaya: Chief Electoral Officer

Meghalaya Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) FR Kharkongor on Wednesday said election officials have seized over Rs 51 crore worth of alcohol, drugs, cash and freebies in the state.

Elections to the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly are scheduled to be held on February 27.

"Election authorities have seized Rs 51.27 crore cumulative value of alcohol, drugs, cash and freebies across Meghalaya," Kharkongor told PTI.

He said the seizures were made by both static and flying squad surveillance teams of the state and central enforcement agencies from January 18 when the model code of conduct came into force till Tuesday (February 7).

According to the CEO, at least 34 assembly constituencies across the state have been identified as "expenditure sensitive" and flying squads have been observing strict monitoring of movement of people in these assembly segments.

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The state election office has already deployed 20 companies of the central armed police force across the state.

Meanwhile, a vigilant BSF team confiscated fake currency notes with a face value of Rs 55,000 being pumped into the East Jaintia Hills district.

A BSF spokesperson said the BSF team posted along the Indo-Bangladesh border detected suspicious movement of miscreants coming in from Bangladesh in the dead of the night on Tuesday.

Upon challenging the intruders, they fled to Bangladesh but left behind a bag containing 105 fake notes in the denomination of Rs 500.

He said the fake currency was of very low grade and suspected that they were printed locally in Bangladesh.

An FIR was lodged in this regard at Umkiang police station.