The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday conducted extensive raids across Jharkhand and West Bengal as part of a money laundering investigation related to the illegal infiltration of Bangladeshi nationals into India. The probe is focused on trafficking operations that allegedly involve the forced migration of women for prostitution under the pretense of employment in beauty salons.
A total of 17 locations in the two states were targeted by the ED, including properties in Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand, where security forces, including CRPF personnel, were seen guarding key sites. Among the raided properties were a hotel on Bariatu Road and a resort in Ranchi. Officials are said to have recovered significant evidence during these searches, including fake Aadhaar cards, forged passports, illegal firearms, documents related to immovable property, cash, jewellery, printing paper, and machinery used for forging documents.
The raids stemmed from an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) filed by the ED in September, which followed a police complaint in June. The complaint, made by a Bangladeshi woman who had allegedly been trafficked into India, claims that she was promised work at a beauty salon but was instead forced into prostitution. She escaped from a local resort and reported the incident to the police. Authorities later discovered that multiple women were involved in the trafficking ring, with one found possessing a fake Aadhaar card.
The FIR filed by Jharkhand Police included charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including cheating and forgery, as well as violations under the Passport Act and the Foreigners Act. The police also investigated the involvement of several women who were allegedly complicit in the trafficking operation.
The ED’s investigation is closely linked to the broader issue of illegal infiltration along India’s eastern border, particularly in the tribal regions of Santhal Pargana and Kolhan in Jharkhand. The infiltration, primarily of Bangladeshi nationals, has become a significant political issue in the state, with accusations that local political parties are encouraging such activities for vote bank politics.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a recent poll rally, criticized the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led government, accusing it of enabling the infiltration of illegal immigrants, including Bangladeshis and Rohingyas. He claimed that such infiltrators were altering the demographic landscape of key regions like Santhal Pargana and Kolhan, a charge that the Jharkhand government has denied.
The Prime Minister further criticized the JMM for not addressing the issue of infiltration despite a ruling by the Jharkhand High Court to establish an independent panel to investigate the matter. Modi’s remarks have fueled an ongoing political debate in the state as Jharkhand heads into its first phase of assembly elections on Wednesday.
The ED has pledged to continue its investigation into the trafficking and infiltration network, with a focus on uncovering the extent of illegal activities operating along the India-Bangladesh border. The investigation is also expected to probe connections between these infiltration activities and the generation of illicit financial funds.
Sources By Agencies
