22 gold biscuits, Rs 1.22 crore cash recovered from Maharashtra businessman in Odisha

Berhampur: During a drive against ganja smuggling, Excise sleuths recovered as many as 22 gold biscuits from a Maharashtra-based businessman at Lanjipalli under Baidyanathpur police limits in Ganjam district late last night.

The Excise team also seized cash of Rs 1.22 crore from possession of the businessman identified as Bharat Gokhe.

Sources said an Excise team was frisking vehicles near Lanjipalli By-pass as part of the drive against ganja smuggling late last night. After intercepting the Maharashtra-based businessman, the officials recovered Rs 1,22, 50,000 cash from his bag. The officials detained him for interrogation and later recovered the gold biscuits from his possession.

The Excise officials later handed him over to police.

Sources said he was involved in illegal gold trading without paying GST. Meanwhile, police have launched crackdowns on few gold businessmen in the city in connection with the incident.