Daijiworld Media Network- Kolkata

Kolkata, Apr 16: In a significant crackdown on cross-border financial crimes, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has apprehended the alleged mastermind of a large-scale Bangladeshi hawala racket operating out of Kolkata.

Acting on specific intelligence, ED officials launched a series of coordinated raids across Kolkata, targeting locations suspected to be linked with illegal financial transactions. During the operation, authorities seized crucial documents, digital records, and a considerable amount of unaccounted cash, pointing to the existence of a robust hawala network spanning across India and Bangladesh.

The accused, a Bangladeshi national, is believed to have played a central role in facilitating the illicit transfer of crores of rupees using unauthorized channels. Investigators believe the funds were being routed for purposes that may include illegal immigration, money laundering, and potentially unlawful financing.

Officials have described the operation as a breakthrough in efforts to clamp down on international financial crime syndicates. The arrested individual is currently being interrogated by the ED, and further arrests are expected as the probe continues.

This development comes amid growing concerns over the misuse of India’s border regions for financial and criminal exploitation, with Kolkata emerging as a strategic point in such cross-border networks. The ED is intensifying efforts to dismantle the entire chain and trace the end beneficiaries of the hawala funds.