Cash Haul of Rs.1.68 Crore Seized at Agartala Airport, Two Couriers Detained, Income Tax Department Launches Probe

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, June 17, 2026

In a major operation based on specific intelligence inputs, officials of the Customs Preventive Force (CPF), Singerbil Customs Division, Agartala, intercepted two passengers at Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) Airport and recovered a massive cash amount of Rs.1,68,27,000 from their luggage.

According to official sources, Customs officers had received information that two passengers were transporting a huge quantity of cash from Mumbai to Agartala via Kolkata. Acting swiftly on the intelligence, officials closely monitored the passengers upon their arrival at MBB Airport on Wednesday afternoon.

The two individuals were detained along with their luggage for verification. Subsequently, in the presence of personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Income Tax Department officials and other airport authorities, the trolley bags carried by the passengers were thoroughly examined.

During the search operation, officials recovered a total of Rs.

1,68,27,000 (Rupees One Crore Sixty-Eight Lakh Twenty-Seven Thousand) concealed inside the luggage. The cash was seized and documented as part of the investigation.

Following preliminary interrogation, Customs officials handed over both the detained individuals, along with the recovered cash, to the Income Tax Department for further investigation and legal proceedings.

Sources familiar with the matter said that the money was allegedly being transported for delivery to a gold trader in Agartala for the purchase of gold. However, investigators believe that the two persons apprehended at the airport were acting merely as couriers and were not the actual owners of the cash.

The Income Tax Department is now expected to investigate the source of the funds, verify whether the cash was properly accounted for, and examine possible violations of tax and financial regulations. Authorities are also likely to probe the intended recipient of the money and the purpose behind the transaction.

The seizure has created considerable interest in business and enforcement circles, as it represents one of the largest cash recoveries at Agartala Airport in recent times. Officials have indicated that a detailed investigation is underway and further disclosures may emerge as the probe progresses.

Authorities have not yet disclosed the identities of the detained individuals or the alleged recipient of the cash. Further action will depend on the findings of the Income Tax Department's investigation.

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