The Enforcement Directorate conducted raids at six locations in Siliguri and Bagdogra on Thursday, October 1, 2026. The operations are part of a broader investigation into a cross-border areca nut smuggling syndicate according to ANI News. The ED Guwahati Zonal Office coordinated the raids across sixteen sites in West Bengal and Assam to probe money laundering and financial irregularities.
Investigators searched properties belonging to Siliguri businessman Sandeep Vaid and prominent trader Dhiraj Ghosh. The searches covered residences and offices on Bardhaman Road, Bagdogra, and Panitanki More. Bank personnel arrived at Ghosh’s home with cash-counting machines, though official seizure figures remain unconfirmed. Other targets included premises linked to Binoy Barman, Navratan Baid, Jai Karni Tradings Pvt Ltd, and Purvottar Agro Pvt Ltd.
Authorities seized digital storage devices, financial ledgers, and property title deeds during the searches. The investigation examines foreign-origin areca nuts smuggled from Indonesia and Thailand through the India-Myanmar border and Mizoram. The syndicate allegedly used local residents as front proprietors and supplied smuggled goods to manufacturers using forged GST and transport documents. Siliguri Police Commissioner Syed Waqar Raza declined to comment on the operation, which stems from a 2024 smuggling case.
