KOLKATA: The officials of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) were on Monday conducting a marathon raid and search operations at the residence-cum-office of a local businessman at Gopiballavpur in Jhargram district of West Bengal in connection with the alleged multi-crore sand-smuggling racket.
The main allegation against the businessman is using forged license documents to raise sand from the riverbeds and subsequently selling that sand in the grey markets, sources aware of the development said.
The team of ED officials conducting the raid and search operation was escorted by the personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF).
The local businessman at whose residence-cum-office at Gopiballavpur is being conducted since morning is Abhishek Patra a.k.a. Biltu. Complaints against him had also been registered in the past at Keshiary police station, Jhargram-adjacent West Midnapore district, where he was accused of illegally raising and selling sand.