"The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on January 18 initiated simultaneous raids at seven locations in and around Kolkata as part of its investigation into alleged recruitment irregularities in West Bengal schools," a senior officer confirmed.
Raids are being held at the residences and offices of those who allegedly "acted as middlemen" in the scam, he said.
"These middlemen used to collect money and transfer it to various addresses. We are conducting raids at residences and offices used by them," the ED officer told the media.
ED officers, accompanied by a significant contingent of central forces, initiated search operations in New Town, Nayabad on the eastern outskirts of Calcutta, and Mukundapur in the south. Additionally, they conducted interviews with family members of the suspected middlemen.
The officer mentioned that one of the individuals involved had close ties to former Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee and MLA Jibon Saha, both of whom were arrested in the scandal.
"One of the middlemen has accumulated properties at over 400 places in the state and we are trying to find out the source of the money. Our officers are going through the bank documents and other property-related papers," he said.
The agency reported that another middleman's name has surfaced during their investigation, and they are currently conducting search operations at his residence.