THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State GST Intelligence Wing seized 1.250 kg gold which was being transported without necessary documents. The Thiruvananthapuram mobile squad seized the gold in the form of ornaments from Killippalam here. The department has served a penalty notice for Rs 59 lakh on the carrier for not possessing a GST invoice for the consignment. The ornaments will be released only if the party remits the penalty, officers said. The State GST department is on a special drive to check tax evasion in gold sales. Sources said the gold was being transported by the agents to some jewellers in the Chalai market.
In a series of raids in recent weeks the mobile squads had seized gold worth crores of rupees from different parts of the state. On Saturday, the Karunagappally mobile squad-III had seized 6.65 kg gold worth Rs 3.35 crore in two different cases at Kayamkulam and Karunagapally. The carriers were slapped with a notice worth Rs 20.14 lakh for lack of documents. On July 16, the mobile squad of Neyyattinkara seized ornaments weighing 812.970 g. Penalty of Rs 37.63 lakh was imposed on the carrier.