ED conducts statewide raids in illegal sand mining case

Kolkata: Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday conducted raids at multiple places across the state, including Kolkata, Asansol and Jhargram in connection with the case of illegal sand mining and smuggling.

On Thursday morning, the ED officials raided an office on Bentinck Street in Kolkata. Searches were also conducted at the sand mines in Lalgarh and Gopiballavpur in Jhargram. Investigators also raided the house of a sand trader in Asansol.

The Central agency was searching the house of sand trader Manish Bagaria of Ward 41 in Murgashole under Asansol South Police Station area since morning. It is alleged that Bagaria used to operate sand ghats in different districts and transact crores of rupees. There are also allegations of financial misappropriation and illegal money laundering at the government sand ghats against him. This apart, ED had conducted searches at the office of GD Mining in Gopiballavpur and the mine of a sand trader Sourav Roy in Lalgarh. Earlier, the investigators had also searched Roy’s house in Midnapore. It may be mentioned that earlier it was alleged that the sand extraction was carried out by sending extra lorries and flouting government regulations. Investigators claim that corruption used to be done by attaching the same registration plate to multiple trucks which were used to snuggle sand.