ED recovers Rs 14 crore during raids at 44 locations in Jharkhand, West Bengal over coal scam

According to an official statement, the searches were conducted under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, and targeted individuals and entities suspected of participating in a longstanding coal theft, transportation, and sale racket. Officials also recovered several property deeds linked to the alleged syndicate, documents related to land dealings, digital devices, and books of accounts belonging to companies reportedly controlled by Jharkhand, raids were carried out at 20 locations in Dhanbad and Dumka, covering premises associated with Lal Bahadur Singh, Anil Goyal, Sanjay Khemka, Amar Mondal, and others. In West Bengal, ED teams searched 24 locations across Durgapur, Purulia, Howrah, and Kolkata, including residences, offices, illegal toll booths, and coke plants tied to individuals such as Narendra Kharka, Krishna Murari Kayal, Yudhishthir Ghosh, Raj Kishore Yadav, Lokesh Singh, Chinmay Mondal, and Nirad Baran Mondal. More than 100 ED officers, supported by CRPF personnel, were involved in the coordinated operation.The ED said the syndicate was particularly active in border districts and generated “huge proceeds of crime.” The agency noted that scrutiny of the seized material is ongoing and further developments are expected as the investigation progresses