BHUBANESWAR: Income tax officials have detained a passenger with six lakh rupees of unaccounted cash at the city airport today morning.
The passenger was held by CISF personnel soon after the aircraft he was flying in landed at Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA). He was taken into custody after the man confessed about the presence of cash in his bag during preliminary inquiry. The bag contained both old and new currency notes in Rs 500, Rs 1000, and Rs 2000 denominations.
CISF personnel handed over the man to I-T officials immediately after he disembarked the aircraft.
The I-T department had prior information about the person’s arrival at BPIA, and deployed sleuths at BPIA since early morning. While the department is tight-lipped about the matter, reliable sources have
confirmed he was travelling on a Indigo flight from Vizag and arrived in Bhubaneswar at 10 am.
Sources said the man in question belongs to Andhra Pradhesh and is associated with fish farming and aqua-culture training. His carry-in baggage contained more than Rs 6 lakh which is a violation of
domestic travel norms in the country. Further investigation is on to ascertain the sources of the money seized, sources added.