Income tax department officials Thursday carried out searches in the offices and depots of Balaji Group, a Rs.2 billion industrial house based in Gujarat.

Around 150 officials in 22 separate teams were engaged in the search operations at the offices, depots and residences of employees of the Balaji Group in Rajkot, Vadodara and Vapi, officials here said.

The income tax department also reportedly surveyed three jewellers dealing in silver in the southern city of Surat, 230 km from here.

Officials, however, refused to provide details about the raids that began Thursday morning. They described the searches as a "routine survey".