ED raids eight West Bengal sites in crackdown on sand-smuggling racket

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday conducted simulatenous raids and search operations at eight locations across West Bengal in connection to a sand-smuggling racket which has been operating in West Bengal.

The central investigation agency today raided multiple locations in Jhargram district's Gopiballavpur, West Midnapore district's Lalgarh and West Burdwan's Asansol. Another ED team has raided the house of a sand trader in West Burdwan district's Asansol. All ED teams are accompanied by central forces.

In Kolkata's Bentick Street, ED has started raid and search operations at around 10.30am at the office of a Chartered Accountant's office after the central forces surrounded the CA's office. Several people have been identified by agency involved in the racket and the sleuths are tracking the money trail in the sand mining busienss, people in the know said.

This is the second time that the ED officials have been conducting operations in connection with sand-smuggling rackets in the state. In September, the ED had conducted search operations in Kolkata, Gopiballavpur in Jhargram district and Kalyani in Nadia district.

Huge demand for sand available at the banks of the Subarnarekha River, which is sold in the open markets at double the government rates, have led to rampant sandmining in the area. Often, the permits for sand mining, which are issued by the state government, are forged and used to conduct illegal mining.