The Enforcement Directorate carried out an extensive search operation across Jharkhand and West Bengal on Friday as part of its continuing money laundering investigation into an alleged coal mafia active in the two neighbouring states. Officials said the coordinated action began around 6 am and involved more than one hundred personnel of the federal agency.
According to officers familiar with the operation, the agency searched over forty locations. These included residences, offices, toll collection booths and check posts that were believed to be linked to groups under investigation. Central security forces accompanied the teams to ensure the safe conduct of the searches, given the scale of the operation and the sensitivity of the case. The investigation concerns suspected unlawful mining and the illegal transportation of coal, activities that have drawn enforcement attention in both states over several years. The agency is examining financial trails and alleged proceeds of crime that may have been generated through these activities. Friday’s searches were intended to gather documents, electronic records and other material that could support the ongoing inquiry.
Officials described the action as “a mega search operation” due to the number of premises covered and the deployment of a large contingent of officers. The locations spread across different districts, requiring simultaneous movement of teams and coordinated logistics through the day. The searches continued for several hours, with officers seizing materials considered relevant to the investigation. The operation marks one of the most extensive actions by the agency in the region in recent months. While the Enforcement Directorate did not issue a formal statement on the findings, officials indicated that the material collected during the raids would be analysed to identify the financial channels used to divert funds allegedly generated from illegal coal activities.
As the investigation progresses, further action may follow based on the evidence gathered. The raids underscored the agency’s focus on disrupting networks suspected of siphoning off revenue through unlawful mining and related activities in Jharkhand and West Bengal.
