India, March 27 -- Illicit inducements worth over Rs 408 crore meant to influence voters in four states and a Union territory have been seized in the past month, the Election Commission of India said on Thursday.

While assembly elections and by-elections were announced on March 15, the Electronic Seizure Management System (ESMS) was activated on February 26, it said.

Since its activation, over Rs 408.82-crore worth of illicit inducements, including Rs 17.44 crore in cash, liquor worth Rs 37.68 crore (16.3 lakh litres), drugs worth Rs 167.38 crore, precious metals worth Rs 23 crore and other freebies worth over Rs 163.30 crore, have been seized by multiple enforcement agencies, the EC said.

Besides, 70,944 complaints were lodged using t...