Seven persons, including a woman, were arrested and approximately ₹2.20 crore in unaccounted cash was seized after a marathon overnight raid by multiple units of Bidhannagar City Police at a private guesthouse in New Town, on the northern outskirts of Kolkata, officials said on Tuesday, 14 July. The operation, which stretched from Monday night into Tuesday morning, was triggered by specific intelligence inputs about large quantities of cash and gold allegedly stored at the premises.

How the Raid Unfolded

The joint operation was conducted by officers from the detective department of Bidhannagar City Police, Techno City Police Station, and Bidhannagar Cyber Crime Police Station. Acting on credible intelligence, the combined team reached the guesthouse on Monday night and launched a search operation that continued through the early hours of Tuesday. In addition to the cash, gold was also recovered from the premises, according to officials.

Four vehicles found at the location were taken into custody, and several documents were seized for forensic examination. The guesthouse owner and other occupants are being questioned to establish the origin of the seized assets.

Cyber Fraud and Hawala Links Under Probe

Investigators are examining whether the recovered funds were proceeds of cyber fraud — the initial intelligence that prompted the raid reportedly pointed in that direction. Police are also probing whether there was a plan to launder the money through the hawala network. According to officials, the investigation was formally launched based on a complaint that ultimately led to the discovery of the cash and gold.

Notably, the involvement of the Bidhannagar Cyber Crime Police Station in the joint team signals that authorities suspect a digital-fraud dimension to the alleged operation — a pattern that has become increasingly common in West Bengal's organised financial crime cases.

Seven in Custody, Questioning Continues

All seven arrested individuals — including one woman — are currently under interrogation as investigators work to map the broader network behind the recovery. The Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate stated that detectives are taking all necessary steps to advance the investigation.

Investigators are focused on identifying who else may be connected to the alleged operation and whether the guesthouse was being used as a regular storage or transit point for illicit funds. The investigation remains ongoing.

What Happens Next

The seized cash, gold, vehicles, and documents are expected to be formally produced before a court as the case progresses. Authorities have not yet ruled out additional arrests. With cyber fraud and hawala both in the frame, the case is likely to draw scrutiny from multiple enforcement agencies in the coming days.