KANPUR, Feb. 12 -- The Income Tax department launched a crackdown on alleged tax evasion, conducting simultaneous raids at 35 locations across Kanpur and Kannauj on Wednesday. The operation, targeting key players in the perfume and pan masala industries, is believed to have exposed financial irregularities.

A prominent perfume trader in Kannauj and a leading pan masala group in Kanpur were among those searched, with officials combing through residential properties, business establishments, and storage units. The probe extended to suppliers dealing in catechu and betel nuts, with searches in Kanpur's Kidwai Nagar and Swarup Nagar areas.

In Kannauj, investigators focused on cold storage facilities and a major perfume manufacturing site, b...