The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday raided multiple locations in poll-bound Jharkhand apart from West Bengal in a money laundering investigation linked to alleged illegal infiltration of Bangladeshi nationals, sources said. A total of 17 places are being covered in the two neighbouring states by the Ranchi office of the federal probe agency, a day before the first phase of polling in Jharkhand. The raids were conducted in Ranchi and Pakur in Jharkhand and 24 Parganas and Kolkata in West Bengal. On Tuesday morning, the ED team reached six locations including Hotel Skyline, Bali Resort and Mountain View Resort in Bariatu, Ranchi and conducted searches. Apart from this, raids are also going on at Altaf Mankars place in Pirtalla, Pakur. Sources said that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) recovered various incriminating items, including fake Aadhars, forged passports, illegal arms, immovable property documents, cash, jewellery, printing papers, printing machines, and blank proformas used for forging Aadhaar cards in raids in connection with illegal Bangladeshi infiltration, conducted at 17 locations in Jharkhand and West Bengal. These multiple raids are part of an ongoing money laundering probe linked to suspected Bangladeshi infiltration in Jharkhand. It is known that on September 16, the ED had registered a case under money laundering to investigate the smuggling and suspected infiltration of Bangladeshi women in Jharkhand. The ED alleges that this was allegedly done to generate black money. In this regard, the ED has registered a case under PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act). The case is based on an investigation report of Jharkhand Police, which was registered in June at Bariatu police station in Ranchi. The police had registered an FIR on the complaint of a woman, which revealed that she entered India from Bangladesh with the help of brokers in search of work. Five to six women were named as accused in the case, who were arrested during a raid at a local resort. The complainant had told that she was brought from Bangladesh to India for prostitution by promising a job in a beauty salon. According to the FIR, the Bangladeshi girl, around 21 years old, was brought to Kolkata with the help of another girl. On the night of May 31, the girl was illegally brought across the borders of Bangladesh from the forest area with the help of private agents. Apart from this, the case is related to agents who engage in illegal infiltration of Bangladeshi citizens into India and provide them with fake documents to establish Indian citizenship. According to the ED, several persons are involved in activities related to illegal infiltration and making fake identity proofs. In such a situation, it is extremely necessary to investigate the persons and related agents who illegally infiltrate into India from Bangladesh, whose aim is to make black money and get involved in other criminal activities. For this, a comprehensive and serious investigation is necessary.

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