Cattle smuggling case: ED arrests ex-BSF officer

New Delhi, April 25 In the latest development in connection with cattle smuggling through the Indo-Bangladesh border, involving Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Anubrata Mondal, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday said that it has arrested Satish Kumar, ex-commandment, 36 Battalion, BSF, for his alleged involvement in the matter.

The ED said that Kumar received Rs 12.8 crore as Proceeds of Crime (POC) from Md Enamul Haque in the accounts of his wife and father-in-law. This money was further laundered by purchasing immovable properties and investing in mutual funds.

He was produced before the Rouse Avenue Court here which remanded him to ED custody for 3 days.

This is the second arrest in this matter. Earlier, accused Md. Enamul Haque was arrested on February 18 and later remanded to judicial custody.

The ED had on April 16, filed a prosecution complaint (chargesheet) in this respect before the Rouse Avenue Court.

The ED filed the prosecution complaint against Md. Enamul Haque, Vinay Mishra and Vikas Mishra and three private firms, Hoque Industries Pvt. Ltd., Hoque Mercantile Pvt. Ltd and Anant Tradecom Pvt. Ltd.

In September 2020, the CBI lodged an FIR against Satish Kumar, Md. Enamul Haque, Md. Anarul SK, Md. Golam Mustafa and other officials of the BSF and the Customs and unknown persons under sections 120B of the IPC, Section 7, 11 & 12 of the PC Act accusing them of smuggling cattle through the Indo-Bangladesh border. The ED initiated a money laundering probe on the basis of the CBI's FIR.

In November 2020, Enamul was placed under arrest by the CBI. He was accused of bribing BSF officials to keep his cattle smuggling business running. The CBI chargesheeted Haque accusing him of being the kingpin in the cross-border smuggling racket.

The CBI had learnt during its investigation that Haque had allegedly been running a hawala racket worth Rs 1000 crore. He was paying fat bribes to BSF officials; one of the officials was also arrested by the federal probe agency.

TMC leader Vinay Mishra and his brother Vikas Mishra are also involved in the matter. In March 2021, the Enforcement Directorate had arrested Vikas and attached the property of Vinay.

It had been alleged that they had been receiving money from Enamul Haque through the hawala channel.

During the course of investigation in this PMLA case, 24 searches have been conducted so far. Till date properties worth more than Rs 18.5 crore has been attached.

Further investigation in the matter is on.

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