Major ED action in West Bengal, raids at nine locations including Kolkata and Durgapur; action taken in this case

Kolkata (The Uttam Hindu): The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is probing a coal smuggling-linked case in West Bengal, launched a fresh large-scale operation on Tuesday, February 3, 2026. Teams of the central agency conducted simultaneous search operations at nine locations across the state, including Kolkata, Durgapur, Asansol, and Bardhaman.

According to sources, the action is aimed at tracing the flow of illegal money generated from coal smuggling. The ED suspects that proceeds of crime were moved through hawala channels, and on this basis, officials are examining digital records and key documents in detail.

Apart from Kolkata, ED teams are active in Durgapur as well. Searches began around 6 a.m. at the residence of a sand trader in the Sepco Township. Raids are also underway at a suspected property on Ambedkar Sarani in the City Center area. Additionally, premises located near National Highway-19 in Pandaveswar and Kanksa are being searched.

During the investigation, it emerged that the concerned traders are involved in sand mining from the Ajay and Damodar rivers. The allegation is that illegal sand mining was carried out on a large scale under the cover of valid tenders. Investigators found that the same challans were repeatedly used to transport sand. It also surfaced that illegal sand was smuggled from Paschim Bardhaman using challans issued from Birbhum district.

The ED stated that through these unlawful activities, the businessmen accumulated substantial assets in a short period. The search operation is ongoing, and several important documents have reportedly been seized.