ED Raids 16 Places in Bengal and Assam Over Smuggling
The Enforcement Directorate has conducted raids at 16 locations across West Bengal and Assam. This action is part of a money-laundering investigation into an illegal syndicate smuggling foreign areca nuts into India.
Locations Raided by Authorities
The ED Guwahati zonal office searched several properties linked to local businessmen and transporters. The premises included those of Siliguri-based transporter Dhiraj Ghosh and his associates Binoy Barman and Sandeep Baid. Other locations searched included Guwahati-based logistics firms Jai Karni Tradings Pvt Ltd and Purvottar Agro Pvt Ltd, along with businessman Navratan Baid.
Details of the Areca Nut Syndicate
Officials stated that the syndicate brought Indonesian and Thai areca nuts into Mizoram through Myanmar. They used local residents as front owners of firms to route financial transactions worth hundreds of crores of rupees. These goods were then sent to gutka and pan masala makers in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Maharashtra using fake GST and transport papers.
Siliguri Network Under Investigation
The federal agency is also investigating a Siliguri-based network. This network reportedly collected monthly payments from truck operators in exchange for tokens that allowed the unhindered movement of truckloads from the Assam border through West Bengal and Bihar.