CBI Conducts Sweeping Raids Across Bengal In Crackdown On Coal Smuggling

In a significant development, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted simultaneous raids and search operations at 13 locations in West Bengal, including Kolkata, in connection with the coal smuggling case. The targeted areas encompass Bhawanipur in South Kolkata, Durgapur, Kulti in West Burdwan district, and Malda, among others.

The CBI teams, accompanied by armed personnel from central armed police forces, are focusing on residences and offices associated with individuals who have been on the agency’s radar due to their close ties with Anup Maji, also known as Lala—a prime accused in the multi-crore coal smuggling case in the state.

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Notably, the residences of two retired Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel are included in the operation, with CBI sleuths identifying substantial assets disproportionate to their income.

The central agency has been particularly vigilant regarding the alleged nexus between coal smuggling kingpins and certain officials of CISF and Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited (CIL). CBI investigators suspect that the magnitude of the scam could not have been possible without the involvement of ECL and CISF officials.

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Earlier this year, the CBI made arrests, including a former director of ECL and Anand Kumar Singh, a former inspector of the Central CISF, both deemed beneficiaries of the alleged scam with close connections to Lala. The ongoing operations shed light on the complexity and wide-reaching implications of the coal smuggling network in the region.