In a significant development in the ongoing sand smuggling investigation, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Arun Sharaf, head of GD Mining Company, marking the first arrest in the state related to this case. Sharaf was taken into custody from Howrah’s Bali on Thursday evening.
According to ED sources, Sharaf is involved in the illegal extraction and smuggling of sand from a sanctioned sand mine. While the company had obtained a lease in accordance with the rules, investigators claim that a substantial quantity of sand was removed beyond permitted limits.
“The excess sand was sold illegally, with the proceeds funnelled into multiple bank accounts owned by Sharaf's company and later transferred abroad through hawala channels,” said an ED official.
Sharaf had reportedly been under investigation for an extended period. On Thursday morning, the ED conducted raids in several locations across Jhargram, West Medinipur, and North 24 Parganas districts, targeting everyone from sand truck drivers to company employees. By the end of the day, Sharaf was arrested, and a large cache of documents was seized from his Salt Lake and Behala offices.
The investigation began on September 7, when the ED conducted its first round of raids in 22 locations across the state, including Behala and Jhargram. During the raids, the team searched the three-story house of Sheikh Zahirul Ali in Gopiballabhpur, Jhargram, situated on the banks of the Subarnarekha river, which is alleged to have been a source of illegal sand extraction for years. Zahirul, also active in the sand business, had his house and car searched by investigators.
Additionally, the ED searched GD Mining’s office on James Long Sarani, Behala, which operates branches in Bali and Bidhannagar’s Sector-V.
Also read: ED cracks down on trafficking, prostitution racket in Bengal
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