Morbi: The mega search operation by the Income Tax Department on the Lavish and Metro Ceramic Group in Morbi entered its third day today. In the large-scale operation that began on Tuesday, authorities have so far seized Rs 11 crore in unaccounted cash and Rs 5 crore in jewellery, while uncovering benami accounts worth over Rs 250 crore.

According to reports, the scale of unaccounted wealth discovered is unprecedented in Gujarat’s ceramic industry, an IT official said.

Led by the Joint Commissioner of the Rajkot Investigation Wing, nearly 250 IT officers, supported by technical staff and police, conducted simultaneous raids across 40 locations associated with Lavish, Levia, Metro, Modern, and Edenhill ceramic groups. Notably, 30 of these sites were residential properties of owners and partners, highlighting the personal scale of hidden wealth. On the first day alone, Rs 3 crore in unaccounted cash was recovered from a partner’s Rajkot residence. By the second day, total seizures had risen to Rs 11 crore in cash and Rs 5 crore in gold and jewellery.

The crackdown has put prominent ceramic industrialists in the spotlight, including former Ceramic Association president Rajubhai Dhamasana and partners Dhirubhai and Jitubhai Rojmala. Their accountants are also reportedly under scrutiny for managing benami accounts and concealing profits.

IT sources revealed the group allegedly suppressed profits from tile production to evade taxes. The department had been monitoring their financial activities quietly for five months before launching the raids. Preliminary findings indicate benami transactions exceeding Rs 250 crore, a figure expected to rise as digital data analysis progresses.

Officials are now examining laptops, servers, and storage devices seized during the raids, which could reveal hidden financial trails. Raids are nearing completion, with on-ground searches expected to wrap up by Friday, though verification of digital records and documents will continue. The operation has also extended to two Angadiya firms in Morbi. DeshGujarat