The Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched a fresh series of raids on Thursday morning as part of its ongoing investigation into money laundering in the illegal sand mining racket in West Bengal.

Multiple teams from the central agency are currently conducting searches at seven locations across Kolkata and various districts. According to sources, properties in Kolkata, Jhargram, and Asansol are among those being searched.

A key focus of the current operation is the residence of an individual named Manish Bagaria in the Murgashol area of Asansol. Local sources indicated that Bagaria has been allegedly involved in the sand business for an extended period, which has now brought him under the central agency’s scanner.

Specifically, raids are underway at Lalgarh and Gopiballabhpur in the Jhargram district, an officer said.

This latest action follows a major coordinated search operation conducted on September 8, linked to the money laundering probe in illegal sand mining, where ED simultaneously raided 22 locations in and around Kolkata and reportedly seized lakhs of rupees and other “crucial evidence”.

In addition to the raids at the businessmen’s residences, the ED had also targeted the offices of a company suspected of being involved in the illegal sand trade. Searches were conducted at the company’s offices at James Long Sarani in Behala and in Sector V of Salt Lake, Kolkata.

The raids were a result of a long-standing investigation into the alleged flow of illicit funds generated from the alleged illegal sand trade.