The Sales Tax Department on Sunday evening raided a jewellery exhibition going on at the Cochin International Airport in Nedumbassery for violation of regulations.

Officials said the organisers of the Kerala Gem and Jewellery Show had violated several rules in the conduct of the exhibition. The exhibition is an annual business-to-business sale of jewellery supported by various traders’ organisations. “People trade in bullion or cash in exchange for gold jewellery at the exhibition. We had prior information that Sunday would see the biggest sales and began the raid at 3.30 p.m.,” said an official of the department.

He said the organisers of the show had not declared to the department that any sale of products would take place. “We have detained people who were leaving the show with bags of gold jewellery. For an exhibition like this, they also have to pay VAT and get a permit from our office,” said the officer. He said those transporting the gold by road, rail, or air also had to file a declaration online at the department’s website in the prescribed format. The transactions had been carried out without the necessary documents, the officer said.