The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday carried out raids in over 20 locations in Calcutta and at least four south Bengal districts to chase the cash trail of the alleged sand-smuggling mafia.
The ED sleuths searched homes and offices of prominent figures involved in sand mining and trade in Jhargram, Nadia, North 24-Parganas, West Midnapore and Calcutta. A source said around 100 ED officials, accompanied by armed central forces, undertook the raids.
Ahead of 2026 state elections, the ED’s focus on sand-smuggling cases carries significance as the central agency has now begun probing a fresh corruption "racket" after recruitment, ration, coal and cattle-smuggling cases in Bengal in which multiple Trinamool Congress leaders were booked.
A source said that since Monday morning, around 20 ED teams reached various locations in the state and began simultaneous raid-and-search operations. While some teams raided the office of GD Mining Pvt Ltd, a sand-mining agency in Calcutta, others moved to Jhargram’s Gopiballabhpur, Nadia’s Kalyani, places in North 24-Parganas and West Midnapore to search the houses of influential figures in the sand business allegedly linked with the agency.
The teams also raided at least three other locations in Calcutta, including the house of an agent of a nationalised insurance company, suspecting big money from sand smuggling was pumped into insurance policies.
No arrest was made during Monday's raids. However, the ED seized multiple documents related to business transactions, sources said.
In Jhargram’s Gopiballabhpur, villagers questioned the sudden wealth of one Sheikh Jahirul Ali after his massive house was raided by the ED.
Jahirul reportedly used to work as a village police volunteer under the Gopiballabhpur police station but lost his job. His alleged induction into the sand-mining trade escalated his lifestyle.
“Before his stint as a police volunteer, Jahirul was a bicycle mechanic. Look at his three-storey house in Gopiballabhpur. How is it possible?" asked a source.
Sand smuggling has long been considered lucrative for politicians of all hues.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has frequently expressed anger over rising sand smuggling and instructed the administration and police to prevent it. A few years ago, her government introduced auctions of sand blocks to curb smuggling and increase government revenue.
However, multiple sources confirmed that despite the government’s efforts to maximise revenue from riverbed minerals, several syndicates mushroomed to collect illegal levy from traders. There have also been complaints of sand being extracted beyond permissible limits, posing a threat to nature and environment. A source said although sand mining is officially suspended during monsoon, smuggling often continues in the season in violation of norms.
The BJP has consistently accused Trinamool of amassing huge illegal funds through sand smuggling and using the money in election activities. After Monday’s raids, BJP leaders demanded that the ED continue its probe, claiming “big fish” could be exposed.
Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of the Opposition, alleged the sand-smuggling scam was massive and called on the ED to escalate its probe to trace the money trail, which he claimed led to the top Trinamool leadership.
“There is massive corruption in sand smuggling. Fake government invoices are used. If the government gets 20 per cent of the revenue, 80 per cent goes into the pockets of Trinamool leaders, particularly Bhaipo (nephew, indicating Mamata's nephew and Trinamool MP Abhishek Banerjee) and his team. Smuggling operates in nexus with senior police officers,” alleged the Nandigram MLA.
Trinamool pointed out the timing of the ED’s activities.
“We have no comment to make on the ED’s investigation, but we must point out the timing. It is expected that central agencies would step up activities as elections draw near. The Prime Minister has already blown the election bugle, and such intensification is, therefore, natural,” said Trinamool leader Kunal Ghosh.