New Delhi, November 22: India’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) searched more than 40 locations in West Bengal and Jharkhand on Friday as part of a money-laundering probe linked to large-scale coal theft and illegal mining, seizing over ₹10 crore ($1.2 million) in cash, jewellery and land documents, officials said.
The coordinated raids targeted premises associated with alleged coal smuggling networks operating across the two eastern states. More than 100 ED officials took part in the operation, the agency said.
In West Bengal, searches were carried out in Durgapur, Purulia, Howrah and Kolkata districts, where investigators seized over ₹8 crore in cash, gold and jewellery. The agency said the locations were linked to individuals suspected of involvement in the illegal extraction, transportation and storage of coal, including Narendra Kharka, Yudhistar Ghosh, Krishna Murari Kayal, Chinmayi Mondal and Rajkishore Yadav.
In Jharkhand, the ED searched 18 sites tied to what it described as major coal theft and smuggling cases involving individuals identified as Anil Goyal, Sanjay Udhyog, L.B. Singh and Amar Mandal. More than ₹2.20 crore in cash and 120 land deeds were recovered from the state.
The agency described those targeted as part of a wider “coal mafia” network that siphons resources from state-owned coalfields and launders the proceeds through shell companies and benami properties.
The ED has been investigating coal theft networks for several years, alleging that large quantities were diverted from mines operated by Coal India subsidiaries with the collusion of officials and local operators. The latest raids expand the scope of the probe as federal agencies intensify their crackdown on illegal mining and related financial crimes across eastern India.
