ED starts procuring details of cases in Bengal for possible PMLA probe

Kolkata, Aug 11 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has commenced procuring details from the West Bengal Police about those cases that warrant a probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Sources aware of the development said that although several cases were filed in organised crimes committed during the previous Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress regime in the police stations, there was no significant progress.

Due to this lack of progress in follow-up of these cases, sources said, the financial involvement in such cases of organised crimes could not be ascertained.

“Often, due to the reluctance of the previous administration, the ED officials also did not receive detailed information on such cases even after being sought. Now the new government has decided to share all such information sought by the ED in relation to such cases of organised crime so that the Central investigating agency can start probes under PMLA in such cases as and when necessary,” said a state government official.

Prima facie, the ED had identified some broad areas of organised crime with higher potential of warranting probe under PMLA.

“These areas are arms smuggling, human trafficking, narcotics trafficking and cybercrime, which are categorised under the ‘scheduled offence’ category. The Central agency is now focusing on cases under this category, where though cases were registered at the police station levels, but without much progress or follow-up at the later stage,” the state government official said.

He explained that such categories of scheduled offences generally involve huge monetary transactions through various illegal routes, including that of Hawala.

“Many such cases have remained out of the ED’s radar since there was not much progress in state-level investigation in such matters. Now, while the state’s own investigating agencies, on their part, would carry forward their investigations in such cases, the details of these cases will also be shared with the ED so that the latter can initiate its own probe,” the state government official said.

He also claimed that the main objective is to build better coordination between the state and the Central investigating agencies for better operations against organised crimes.

Such coordination between the state and Central agencies was never possible during the previous Trinamool Congress regime. The ED is already investigating several scams in the state, including the recruitment scam, coal smuggling and cow smuggling among others.

Now, the state government officials feel that with the Central and state agencies operating in coordination, there will be progress in bringing black money back to the system.

–IANS

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