With the countdown to the Assembly Elections underway, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has intensified its crackdown in West Bengal. Early Friday morning, ED officials launched simultaneous raids at 12 locations across the state, including Kolkata, Howrah, Murshidabad, and Bongaon, in connection with the multi-crore ration distribution scam.

According to agency sources, high-profile businessmen in the city are currently under the scanner. Intensive searches are being conducted at a residence on Lord Sinha Road, multiple corporate offices in Minto Park, and an establishment in Poddar Court. It is reported that information obtained from previously arrested accused led investigators to this intricate network of money laundering.

The scam first surfaced in 2020 following the seizure of black-marketed flour in Nadia. Investigation revealed that 20-40% of ration supplies were diverted to the open market for illegal profit. While heavyweights like former minister Jyotipriya Mallick were previously arrested, the fresh raids just two weeks before voting suggest that central agencies are determined to trace the ultimate beneficiaries of the scam.