Nagpur, Jan 16 (NationPress) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) executed coordinated raids at 16 locations throughout Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, resulting in the freezing of a bank balance valued at Rs 1.34 crore and the confiscation of Rs 38.43 lakh in cash, along with a BMW and seven additional vehicles, as part of an investigation into illegal sand mining, an official confirmed on Friday.

The ED's Nagpur Sub-Zonal Office conducted these operations under the authority of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, targeting premises in Bhopal, Hoshangabad, and Betul Districts of Madhya Pradesh, as well as Nagpur and Bhandara Districts in Maharashtra.

This investigation was prompted by complaints lodged under various sections of the IPC, 1860, at Sadar and Ambazari Police Stations in Nagpur City against individuals including Narendra Pimple and Amol alias Guddu Khorgade, concerning alleged sand mining activities along riverbanks in and around Nagpur and Bhandara.

The Proceeds of Crime (POC) from these illicit operations are estimated to exceed Rs 30 crore, according to the ED.

During the raids, authorities seized unaccounted cash amounting to Rs 38.43 lakh, numerous incriminating documents, property papers, and digital devices containing evidence linked to illegal sand mining, which facilitated the generation of substantial POC used for acquiring properties.

The confiscated vehicles included three SUVs, two JCB machines, and two Pokland machines, as reported by the agency.

The individuals named in the FIR are accused of orchestrating a systematic illegal sand mining venture using forged and fake Electronic Transit Permits (ETPs) to unlawfully extract, transport, and sell sand, as stated.

Despite the closure of sand ghats around Nagpur, the mafia, in collaboration with transporters and others, continued illegal mining activities, receiving fraudulent royalties from Madhya Pradesh and using them to sell sand illicitly in Nagpur.

Numerous cases related to this issue have been registered by the police, as noted by the ED.

The investigation revealed a syndicate led by Rahul Khanna and Bablu Agarwal, who were involved in creating false Electronic Transit Permits in the names of legally leased sand ghats in Madhya Pradesh, according to the ED.

These counterfeit ETPs were sold to sand mafia operators in Nagpur for prices ranging from Rs 6,000 to Rs 10,000 each. Armed with these fake permits, the sand mafia transported illegally sourced sand from ghats in Nagpur and nearby regions, as indicated by the ED.

However, official records inaccurately represented that the sand was loaded at legally sanctioned ghats in Madhya Pradesh.

The vehicle registrations mentioned in the ETPs were listed as valid and registered in government databases. Nevertheless, an analysis of GPS data revealed that these vehicles did not travel to the Madhya Pradesh ghats as claimed in the ETPs, according to the ED.