GST officers seized 108 kg of gold in Kerala's "Tower of Gold" operation.
In a plot straight out of a Bollywood blockbuster, the intelligence wing of Kerala's GST department pulled off a sensational operation, seizing a staggering 108 kg of unaccounted gold in overnight raids at 78 gold jewellery manufacturing units and wholesale dealers in and around Thrissur, TOI reported.
Codenamed Torre del Oro (Tower of Gold), the operation ran from 4:30 PM on Wednesday to 11 AM on Thursday, with more than 700 officials discreetly transported from various parts of the state under the pretense of a leisure trip to maintain confidentiality.
GST Special Commissioner Renn Abraham revealed to TOI that the raids targeted a mix of large, medium, and small-scale units, leading to a shocking confession from the owner of one firm who disclosed a suppressed sales turnover of Rs.1,200 crore.
Deputy Commissioner (Intelligence) of GST Dinesh Kumar explained that the raids were the result of six to seven months of intelligence gathering and meticulous planning, with details shared only among a select group of top officials. Many participants were discreetly brought to Kochi and Thrissur for training programs to keep the operation under wraps. Officials arrived at Thekke Gopura Nada in Thekkinkadu Maidan, Thrissur, in private tourist buses and cars, posing as tourists, and were deployed in batches for the raids.
