Bengal: Birbhum cash haul soars to ₹28.5 crore, 15 kg gold seized; stone trader’s manager arrested

The seizure emerged from a night-long operation at the residence of Minar Mondal in Deucha village, where investigators recovered a substantial quantity of cash and gold suspected to have been illegally accumulated.

Birbhum Superintendent of Police VR Bhundesh confirmed the recovery and Minar Mondal’s arrest.

“We have recovered Rs 28.5 crore in cash and 15 kg of gold. Tullu Mondal’s manager and brother-in-law Minar Mondal has been apprehended. His house has been sealed,” Bhundesh told reporters.

The latest figure marks a substantial increase from the Rs 20 crore recovered from Minar Mondal’s residence by Wednesday evening.

After the cash was counted, police used several metal trunks to transport the seized money from the property.

Police sources said the cash was initially taken to Mohammad Bazar police station in sealed containers and is expected to be deposited in a bank.

The scale of the seizure makes it one of the largest recoveries of suspected illegally amassed assets reported in West Bengal in recent years.

The operation was a part of an ongoing investigation into the suspected source of the money and the network allegedly connected to the stone and sand trade in Birbhum.

15 kg gold recovered

The search also resulted in the recovery of approximately 15 kg of gold.

According to police, investigators found 14 gold bars weighing 1 kg each and another 10 gold biscuits weighing 100 grams each.

Police estimated the value of the gold at around Rs 21.5 crore at prevailing market prices.

The gold was recovered from Minar Mondal’s two-storey house in Deucha village during the overnight operation.

Minar had been detained along with his son during the raid on Wednesday.

Police formally arrested him on Thursday morning, and he is expected to be produced before a local court.

Central forces join search ops

As the investigation widened, police accompanied by central forces also reached the residence of Tullu Mondal.

Security personnel were deployed outside the premises as police teams entered the property for a further search. Mondal has reportedly been absconding since the declaration of the West Bengal Assembly election results in May.

Authorities are now examining whether further cash, documents or other assets connected to the alleged illegal mining network are present at his properties.

Search operation underway at Tullu Mondal's house in Birbhum, West Bengal. Photo: IBNS

Who is Tullu Mondal?

Tullu Mondal, also known as Mohd Nazibuddin, has substantial business interests in Birbhum’s stone quarrying sector, according to police.

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has described him as a “sand mafia” operator while praising the police operation against alleged illegal mining networks.

Mondal has previously come under the scrutiny of central investigating agencies.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which investigated the multi-crore cattle smuggling case, searched several of Mondal’s properties, including his office and godown in the Mohammad Bazar area, in August 2022.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) subsequently summoned him to Delhi for questioning in November that year.

Birbhum’s illegal mining network under scanner

The latest seizure comes amid an intensified crackdown on alleged illegal mining and revenue leakages in Birbhum.

The district has remained under scrutiny over allegations involving unauthorised stone quarrying, sand extraction and organised networks operating around the mineral trade.

Investigators suspect that a significant portion of the cash recovered could represent revenue allegedly diverted instead of being deposited into government coffers.

The allegation is part of the ongoing investigation and has not been established in court.

Police are examining the origin of the money and the ownership and source of the recovered gold.

Investigators are also expected to identify other individuals who may have been involved in the alleged network.

Govt's ‘zero tolerance’ policy

Adhikari had described Wednesday’s operation as a major crackdown on the alleged “sand mafia” and reiterated the state government’s stated “zero tolerance” approach towards corruption and organised crime.

He has also claimed that increased enforcement since the BJP came to power in West Bengal has resulted in a sharp rise in revenue collections from Birbhum’s stone quarrying sector.

The government has been seeking to plug revenue leakages linked to the extraction and transportation of minor minerals, including stone and sand.

The latest recovery has brought renewed attention to the scale of money allegedly generated through illegal mining and the mechanisms used to conceal or divert such funds.

TMC demands 'wider' probe

The seizure has also triggered a political response.

Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said those responsible for criminal activity should face action, but argued that the investigation should not stop with alleged operators in the mining trade.

Ghosh also called for an investigation into political leaders who may have allegedly patronised or protected such activities.