ED raids Bengal homes, offices in illegal sand mining case
On October 16, 2025, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched coordinated raids across West Bengal as part of an ongoing probe into illegal sand mining.
Teams searched offices and homes in places like Bentinck Street, Lalgarh, Gopiballavpur (Jhargram), and Asansol, targeting those suspected of running or benefiting from sand smuggling operations.
Follow-up on previous ED raids
These latest raids follow earlier action in September, when the ED searched properties linked to Sheikh Zahirul Ali—a former village police officer now accused of running illegal sand mining in Jhargram.
During those searches, officials seized cash and documents from Ali's home near the Subarnarekha River, and recovered more than ₹90 lakh in total from multiple locations, including about ₹65 lakh from businessman Sourav Roy's Medinipur residence.
No new arrests or major seizures have been reported from this week's raids, but the investigation is still active as authorities dig deeper into money trails and evidence.