The Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out search operations on Tuesday at multiple locations in West Bengal as part of its ongoing investigation into a multi-crore coal scam, officials said. The raids took place in areas including Durgapur, Kaksha, and Paschim Bardhaman, with teams searching various premises linked to suspected individuals in the case.

The searches began in the early morning and included the residence of Manoranjan Mondal, the officer-in-charge of Budbud police station, an ED official confirmed. “One Bengal Police officer-in-charge named Manoranjan Mondal is being covered in the searches today. Other persons include Kiran Khan, Sekh Akhtar, Prabir Datta and Mirza Hesamuddin Baig,” ED sources said.

Officials said that around ten premises, including Mondal’s home, are being searched under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The searches are focused on people and locations connected to the alleged scam, the agency added.

The ED’s probe is centred on allegations of illegal extraction and smuggling of coal from the Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), a large coal producer in eastern India. The agency has been examining evidence related to the racket, which it says has been under scrutiny for several years.

According to the agency and official documents, the case first emerged after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered an FIR that accused individuals of large-scale pilferage of coal from ECL mines in Asansol and nearby areas of West Bengal. The ED then took up a related money-laundering investigation to follow the financial trail of the alleged illegal activities.

The Prevention of Money Laundering Act allows the ED to conduct searches when it suspects that proceeds of crime are being concealed or laundered. All the ongoing searches are being carried out under this law.

The coal scam probe has drawn attention in recent months as part of broader investigations into illegal mining and smuggling networks that cross state borders and involve complex financial arrangements. The ED, which enforces economic laws in India, has been coordinating efforts to collect evidence, seize assets, and question individuals who may have played roles in the alleged scheme.

Officials did not immediately release further details about any arrests or seizures made during the raids on Tuesday. The agency has been tight-lipped about the specific findings from each location, saying that operations are still underway.

In the official statement, ED sources reiterated that the searches are part of their efforts to trace the money trail and gather material evidence tied to the alleged coal smuggling racket. The ongoing probe aims to identify how funds may have been moved or concealed through various channels.

The multi-crore coal scam case remains open and under active investigation, with central agencies working to build a substantive case based on documentary and financial evidence so that further legal action can be taken under Indian law.