In the case of illegal coal mining and money laundering, ED conducts major operation in Dhanbad, simultaneous raids at 25 places

Dhanbad: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched a massive operation on Monday, July 28, 2026, in connection with the cases of illegal coal mining and money laundering. Simultaneous raids are being conducted at 25 locations across Dhanbad. The operation involves 25 separate teams of the ED, and the search is being carried out under tight security provided by the Central Security Forces. According to ED sources, the main objective of this operation is to investigate allegations of accumulating huge amounts of benami properties through illegal coal mining, illegal transportation, and money laundering. Those under the scanner of the raids include influential coal traders of Dhanbad, such as L.B. Singh, Anil Goel, Ganesh Yadav, Pappu Mandal, Anup Chouhan, Harendra Chouhan, and former MLA candidate Rohit Yadav, along with their close associates. ED officials are searching the residences and offices of the concerned businessmen, examining digital records, bank transaction documents, important papers related to coal outsourcing, and other financial documents. It is worth mentioning that the ED had also conducted raids at multiple locations in the same case in November 2025. At that time, approximately ₹2.20 crore in cash and documents of more than 150 plots of land were seized. According to investigators, the current operation may reveal new financial transactions and property information. Additionally, the names of several local administrative officials may surface in the investigation of this case, sparking intense speculation. However, the ED has not made any official comment on this matter so far.