Dhanbad Enforcement Directorate raid freezes ₹160 crore mutual fund, seizes cash from coal mafia

India’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out a coordinated raid on coal‑mafia operations in Dhanbad, Jharkhand, on July 28 under the Prevention of Money‑Laundering Act. The operation covered 31 locations and targeted illegal coal mining, smuggling, extortion and related money‑laundering activities.

ED froze approximately ₹160 crore of mutual‑fund assets linked to coal trader L. B. Singh and seized ₹1.02 crore in cash. More than 200 pieces of immovable‑property documentation, bank records and digital evidence were also confiscated. The raid included premises of other traders such as Anil Goyal and their associates.

The action follows earlier ED operations against the same network in November 2025 and is part of a broader effort to curb illicit coal trade and financial crime in the region.