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Kolkata, Oct 16 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday conducted search operations at eight locations in West Bengal in connection with the sand-smuggling racket running in the state.
Central Investigation Agency officials have conducted raids in Jhargram, Asansol, Lalgarh and Gopiballavpur areas. It is said that when ED officials reached there, sand was being taken out.
It is noteworthy that ED has already conducted raids in the sand smuggling case. A few days ago, officials of the central agency had gone to Jhargram district. Sources said that a businessman’s house was searched here.
It has been revealed that sand was being continuously extracted from a mine owned by a businessman in Lalgarh. There were queues of trucks parked there. However, no owner was seen at the mine. According to a source, ED has started interrogating a person named Gopal. However, his role in the case is yet to be established.
Another team of the central agency has raided the house of a sand trader in Asansol in West Burdwan district. At the same time, ED is also searching an office in Kolkata. They are searching an office in Poddar Court area of central Kolkata.
This is the second time that ED officials have conducted an operation in West Bengal in connection with the sand smuggling racket.
In September, the ED had similarly conducted search operations in Kolkata, Gopiballavpur in Jhargram district and Kalyani in Nadia district.
According to ED estimates, hundreds of crores of rupees are involved in the sand-smuggling racket running in the state.
Sources said due to huge demand for sand available on the banks of Subarnarekha river, it was sold in the open markets at double the government rates. Often, sand mining permits, which are issued by the state government, are forged and used by racketeers to carry out illegal mining.
–IANS
sh/dpb