The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has unearthed a sophisticated modus operandi behind a multi-crore sand-smuggling racket in West Bengal following extensive raids across multiple locations on Monday.
According to officials, the illegal operation functioned on two levels of manipulation.
First, several trucks owned by different operators were found using identical registration numbers to transport sand from riverbanks, bypassing state mining regulations that require mining entities to register vehicles and provide ownership details to authorities.
Second, investigators discovered large-scale forgery of QR codes issued by district administrations. These codes, meant to ensure only authorised vehicles carried extracted sand, were duplicated and allotted to trucks outside the official list.
“Both methods reveal a well-organised system of fraud. Such irregularities could not have been carried out without the complicity of certain officials within the administrative machinery,” an ED official said.
The agency has reportedly obtained documents confirming the use of duplicate registration numbers and forged QR codes. Investigators are now identifying government officials suspected of facilitating the racket, as well as probing possible political patronage behind its operations.
“This is the first time the ED has conducted operations in West Bengal specifically targeting sand-smuggling networks,” the official added, underscoring the scale and seriousness of the case.
