Raipur: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday reported a significant breakthrough in its investigation into suspicious financial networks operating within the Maoist-affected regions of Chhattisgarh.
After a series of coordinated raids across multiple states, including targeted operations in the Dhamtari and Bastar districts, the central agency has gathered substantial evidence pointing toward an organised system of foreign funding.
According to sources, the operation led to the recovery of several foreign-origin debit cards, a significant amount of unexplained cash, various digital devices, and a cache of sensitive documents.
The ongoing investigation suggests a sophisticated method of moving capital, where large sums of money were systematically withdrawn within India using these international debit cards.
These funds were then allegedly diverted into specific regions of Chhattisgarh to finance local activities under the radar of traditional banking oversight.
The revelations have prompted a strong reaction from the state leadership.
When asked if ED has seized financial transactions worth Rs 6 crore, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, while speaking to media, said the central agency’s probe in the Bastar region has uncovered a financial network and the agency will take further action.
Reportedly these substantial sums were being utilised to facilitate religious conversion activities in the sensitive tribal belt.
This development adds a new layer of complexity to the security situation in Bastar, as authorities look into whether these financial trails link back to broader networks seeking to destabilise the social and political fabric of the region.
The ED is currently scrutinising the digital evidence and bank statements to trace the ultimate source of these foreign deposits.
Investigators are working to identify the individuals and organisations abroad responsible for fuelling these local operations.
This crackdown is part of a larger effort by federal agencies to choke the financial lifelines of illicit groups operating in the “Red Corridor”.
As the probe widens, officials expect to uncover more details regarding the logistics of how these foreign funds were distributed on the ground and the specific intermediaries involved.
(IANS)
