The Enforcement Directorate on Monday conducted searches at nine locations in West Bengal in connection with the illegal coal mining and cattle smuggling cases, in which the CBI has registered separate FIRs.
Officials of the BSF and the Customs are under the scanner in the cattle smuggling case. The CBI had earlier arrested Commandant Satish Kumar and one trader named Enamul Haque for their alleged role. They were booked along with two other traders named Anarul Sheikh and Mohammed Golam Mustafa. The case pertained to smuggling of cattle to Bangladesh.
In the case about illegal coal mining in the Kunustoria and Majora collieries of West Burdwan, the CBI had recently carried out searches at 45 locations in four States. The agency named coal mafiaso Anup Maji aka Lala and several officials under the Eastern Coalfield Limited for their alleged involvement. Unknown officials of the railways and the CISF also came under investigation for allowing the theft and transport of illegally mined coal.
Multiple agencies are pursuing the matter as the network behind the illegal mining is suspected to be very large, involving influential persons and officials in the local administration. The main accused had earlier claimed that he used to pay huge bribes to evade detection.
