ED Raids Uncover Rs 64 Lakh Cash in West Bengal Sand Mining Probe
In a major crackdown on alleged sand mining irregularities in West Bengal, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized a whopping Rs 64 lakh in cash from the home of a local businessman. This stunning recovery happened during intense raids in the Basantapur area of West Midnapore, spotlighting growing concerns over sand smuggling rackets in the state.
The businessman in question is Sourav Roy, who’s been deep in the sand business for years. ED teams swooped down on his residence early Monday morning as part of a series of marathon search operations across multiple spots in West Bengal. When the officials searched the house, they found bundles of currency notes stashed away in sneaky spots—like under the bed—raising eyebrows about where all that money came from.
Interestingly, Roy wasn’t home when the ED arrived, and his family couldn’t explain the source of the huge cash pile or why it wasn’t safely tucked away in a bank. Sources say the family gave no clear answers, leaving investigators even more determined to dig deeper.
This raid marks the first time ED has targeted sand smuggling operations in West Bengal, and it’s already uncovering potential leads. Apart from the cash, the team also grabbed some incriminating documents from Roy’s place that could blow the lid off more details in the sand mining case.
Next up, ED plans to issue a summons to Roy—likely today or Wednesday—asking him to show up at their Kolkata office in Salt Lake for questioning. His statement will be recorded there as part of the ongoing probe.
An ED official explained the rules to keep things legit: "Sand mining companies in West Bengal must register their trucks’ numbers with local authorities before hauling sand from rivers. They also need to share owner details for those vehicles to prevent illegal sand smuggling." Breaking these sand mining regulations can lead to big trouble, and this case is just getting started.
Stay tuned as the ED’s investigation into West Bengal sand smuggling heats up—could this be the tip of a much larger iceberg?
