Coal Smuggling Case: ED Raids Multiple Locations In Bengal, Jharkhand; Cash, Gold Seized

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out raids at multiple locations in West Bengal and Jharkhand on Friday, recovering substantial amounts of cash and gold. Officials confirmed that of the 25 sites

being searched, three locations in West Bengal yielded significant unaccounted cash, though the exact addresses have not been disclosed.

Preliminary counting of the seized cash, reportedly around Rs 1 crore, has been completed, while the valuation of the gold, mostly in the form of ornaments, is still underway, news agency IANS reported. Authorities said the total value of the recovery will be announced once both cash counting and gold valuation are completed.

In West Bengal, the raids included the office and residence of a prominent contractor associated with Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited, located in the coal belt of Asansol in the West Burdwan district. Additionally, the homes of three other businessmen linked to the coal trade were targeted—two in Salt Lake on Kolkata’s northern outskirts and one near Salap Crossing in Howrah district.

The operations are part of an ongoing investigation into a multi-crore coal smuggling case, in which the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have been running parallel probes. Recently, the CBI informed the court that it plans to conclude its investigation shortly.

The ED raids come just a few days after the CBI’s submission at the court on this count. Officials continue to comb through the recovered items to ensure accurate accounting and valuation, highlighting the scale and seriousness of the probe.

These coordinated actions underscore the agencies’ intensified scrutiny of alleged financial irregularities in the coal sector and aim to recover unaccounted assets tied to the case.