Kolkata: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) conducted raids at several locations in West Bengal since Friday morning in connection with an investigation into a major human trafficking racket that has tentacles throughout the state.
Parallel raid and search operations by the ED officials are taking place in at least six locations in different parts of West Bengal, with each team of the central agency being escorted by the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel, officials confirmed.
The residence of a civil engineer at South Dum Dum on the northern outskirts of Kolkata has also been raided. The other locations include the Salt Lake residence of a businessman and owner of a number of bar-cum-restaurants in and around Kolkata.
According to sources, investigators suspect that the businessman is the main brain behind the human trafficking racket, and used his bar-cum-restaurants to conduct this clandestine operation.
Raids are also on at the residences of two other businessmen, also in Salt Lake, in relation to the scam.
Raids are also on at the residence of another businessman in Siliguri in the Darjeeling district of north Bengal.
The ED started the investigation in the matter based on several FIRs registered by Kolkata Police and West Bengal Police against the kingpins of this human trafficking racket, it has been learnt.
The FIRs were registered under various Sections of the erstwhile Indian Penal Code and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act. Later, when the ED took over the investigation, it registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The kingpins of the human trafficking racket allegedly lured vulnerable women with false employment promises and coercer them into prostitution to generate substantial proceeds of crime.
Subsequently, the proceeds of crime were diverted mainly through multiple shell companies.