Punjab: ED raids illegal mining sites in Punjab; seizes Rs 3.5 cr cash

Chandigarh, May 29 (PTI) The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday conducted searches at multiple locations in Punjab as part of a narcotics linked money laundering case that involves prime accused Jagdish Singh alias Bhola, official sources said.

The agency has seized about Rs 3.5 crore in cash during these raids.

A total of 13 premises in Rupnagar district are being searched after it was found that “illegal” mining was being done on a land that was earlier attached by the ED in the Bhola case, the sources said.

Some of the accused in this alleged illegal mining case include Nasibchand and Shree Ram stone crushers and some others, the sources said.

The drugs money laundering case pertains to a multi-crore synthetic narcotics racket that was unearthed during 2013-14 in Punjab.

The ED case was booked on the basis of FIRs filed by the Punjab Police.

The case is commonly known as the Bhola drug case to identify the alleged “kingpin”, wrestler-turned-policeman-turned-“drug mafia” Jagdish Singh alias Bhola.

Bhola was arrested by the ED in January 2014 and the case is currently in trial before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Punjab.