ED Raids Shakes Jharkhand and West Bengal on Eve of Elections: Crackdown on Infiltration of Illegal Bangladeshis and Laundering of Money

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate carried out a massive operation in Jharkhand and West Bengal yesterday, when it was a day to the voting for the first phase of assembly elections, acting on an ongoing investigation into illegal infiltration by Bangladeshi nationals with related money laundering activities. The ED has reportedly raided as many as 17 locations in both states and has targeted suspected networks suspected to be involved in the smuggling and unlawful entry of Bangladeshi nationals.

Officials suspected a network that enabled illegal migration of Bangladeshi nationals into Jharkhand and West Bengal, linked to human trafficking and generation of unaccounted funds. According to ED sources, the agency's Jharkhand office coordinated the raids, which were conducted simultaneously in multiple locations in the two neighboring states.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders have repeatedly pointed out to illegal infiltration, claiming the existing state government has allowed this, which, according to them, changed the demographics in Santhal Parganas and Kolhan regions of Jharkhand, an area that is predominantly tribal. The promises for a respective stipend for each voter in Santhal Parganas and Kolhan regions remained central in all the political rallies going on.

The assembly elections in Jharkhand will begin their first phase on Wednesday with 43 constituencies, followed by the second phase scheduled for November 20, comprising an additional 38 seats.

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