The Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers are currently conducting raids in West Bengal as part of an investigation into sand and coal smuggling cases. The raids are focused in the West Burdwan district, with searches ongoing in areas like Nabagram, Durgapur, and Pandaveshwar. The ED team, supported by central security forces, is looking into allegations of illegal coal extraction and smuggling from Eastern Coalfields Limited.
A sand mafia kingpin’s house in Durgapur is under scrutiny, with officials tracing his involvement in the business over the years. The ED team, along with central forces, faced initial resistance but eventually gained access to the premises. The focus is on uncovering the kingpin’s connections in the sand business and the scope of his network.
In a related development, the ED had previously conducted searches at the residence and office of Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) chief Pratik Jain. Following leads from these searches, the current raids in Durgapur are part of the ongoing probe into the coal smuggling case. The earlier searches had sparked controversy, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accusing the ED of targeting her party’s election-related documents.
