ED cracks alleged terror trail across five States
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday conducted search operations at 15 locations across five States as part of a money-laundering linked to an alleged terror-funding and illegal-infiltration network. The ED’s Lucknow zonal office carried out the raids under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Premises searched spanned Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, and West Bengal. Specific areas included Batla House and Madanpur Khadar in Delhi, Saharanpur and Deoband in Uttar Pradesh, Ballabhgarh in Haryana, Raigarh in Maharashtra, and multiple sites in West Bengal, including border districts of such as North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, and Murshidabad.
The case originates from a 2024 FIR registered by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). The FIR pertains to an organised syndicate allegedly involved in facilitating the illegal infiltration of Rohingya and Bangladeshi nationals into India, arranging forged Indian identity documents, including Aadhaar, PAN, and passports, and aiding their rehabilitation and settlement in various parts of the country.
According to officials, the ATS probe and subsequent ED investigation uncovered a deep-rooted financial network involving certain charitable trusts and entities. Some of these entities are registered under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) and allegedly received substantial foreign contributions, including from UK-based sources.
“By targeting the financial trails, the ED aims to disrupt networks that allegedly exploit charitable fronts and complex layering techniques to obscure the origin and use of funds”, a senior official said. This operation underscores India’s multi-agency approach to national security challenges, he added.
Funds were reportedly diverted through multiple bank accounts, mule accounts, layered transactions, cash withdrawals, and small-value transfers in tranches to suspected beneficiaries and to support infiltration-related activities. Among the locations searched were premises linked to entities such as Sun Shine Health and Social Welfare Society, Kabirbag Millat Academy, and other institutions. Searches focused on the recovery of digital devices, incriminating documents, and statements from key persons. Further investigation is underway.
Illegal infiltration networks have long been a concern due to potential links with radicalisation, document fraud, and cross-border funding channels. Central security agencies, including the ED and state ATS units, have intensified efforts in recent years to dismantle such syndicates through parallel financial and predicate investigations. Officials described the financial architecture as sophisticated, designed to facilitate both illegal settlement support and alleged terror-related funding.