AGARTALA, September 5 (TIWN): Just ahead of the festive season drawing near as many as 70 packets of readymade garments brought from Kolkata reportedly without paying tax were seized from Agartala airport recently. Acting on a tip off the state custom and tax department official had conducted a raid at the airport and seized the items worth Rs. 8 lakhs, said the official.

According the airport official, the items were brought here in the state by air in the name of two local residents but actual owner of those is a businessman from Agartala.

The local sources said, almost everyday the Agartala businessmen manage to bring readymade garments from Kolkata through air without paying tax and it has now become daily routine for them as the train services is scheduled to get suspended due to gauge conversion work just before the Durga puja.

However, the security personnel at the airport were asked to keep a strict vigil as the festive season is drawing near.  

It was also alleged that due to the negligence role of the concerned security personals despite being asked to keep a strict vigilance, the businessmen from Agartala often manages to bring the readymade garments by air from Kolkata without paying tax.