The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Bhubaneswar Zonal Office, carried out a significant search operation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) in various locations connected to mafias involved in unauthorized excavation and sale of minor minerals like sand and black stone in Ganjam district. The accused mafias engaged in illegal mining are linked as business partners, according to a press note from the central agency.
The search operation targeted premises of brokers, mafias with criminal backgrounds, and other associated business partners involved in illegal mining activities. These individuals, including gangsters and Bahubalis, have been forcibly conducting illegal mining of minor minerals through exploitation and intimidation in their respective areas, as stated by the ED in the press note.
Citing a recent report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, the ED highlighted widespread illegal mining along the riverbeds of Rushikulya, Bahuda, and Bada Rivers in Ganjam district, resulting in substantial losses to the government exchequer. During the search, the ED discovered an almirah containing a significant amount of liquid cash, high-end benami vehicles, and documents related to immovable properties, agreements, and mining leases executed by these individuals, which will be confiscated.
The search operation is ongoing, and specific details such as the amount of cash seized and other case-related information will be revealed upon the search’s completion. The ED is conducting a comprehensive investigation into the illegal mining activities in Odisha. Local sources have indicated that the mafias under scrutiny by the ED are allegedly associated with prominent political parties and have amassed considerable wealth through illegal mining of sand and black stone in Ganjam.
