NEW DELHI: The authorities have made seizures worth Rs 4,650 crore, including drugs worth Rs 2,069 crore, in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections, the Election Commission said on Monday. This has already exceeded the Rs 3,475 crore recovered during the 2019 parliamentary polls.

Out of the total seizures, cash component stands at over Rs 395 crore, while liquor stands at more than Rs 489 crore. Significantly, 45 per cent of the seizures are of drugs.

Use of black money, over and above political financing, could disturb the level playing field in favour of more resourceful party or candidate, it noted, adding that the seizures are a critical part of its resolve to hold the Lok Sabha elections free of inducements and electoral malpractices and to ensure a level playing field.

The panel has also taken strict action against 106 government servants who were found assisting politicians in campaigning.

EC sources also pointed out that there was “nothing new” in search of helicopters, as was done in case of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee. In the run-up to the polls, all Collectors and SPs were told to keep a strict watch on airfields and helipads. Such searches are taking place in airfields, both public and private, across the country to ensure inducements are not ferried by air, they said.