The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested two individuals in Kolkata for allegedly impersonating senior ED officers and extorting over ₹1.5 crore from a sand mining businessman based in Rabindrasani.
The main accused, Jinner Ali, along with his associate Sinner Ali, are believed to have orchestrated an elaborate con between 2023 and June 2025. During this period, they posed as ED officials and claimed to head an anti-trafficking committee.
To lend credibility to their fraud, the duo used a white Fortuner SUV with fake ED board plates and summoned businessmen to official-looking locations like the CGO Complex. There, they would threaten investigations, arrests, and asset seizures unless the victims paid large sums.
The ED launched a series of raids on Wednesday morning. Investigations revealed that a sand mining businessman was coerced into transferring ₹20 lakh to a company account controlled by the accused. Authorities are verifying the ownership and beneficiaries of this company.
The scam came to light after an FIR was filed with the Kolkata Police in June. Further probing led the ED to uncover that the businessman made multiple payments over two years, totalling approximately ₹1.5 crore. The payments were made under the threat of prosecution, account freezes, and property seizures.
Officials believe this may not be an isolated incident and are now working to identify additional victims and assess the full scale of the fraud. The ED has not ruled out the involvement of a larger network, and investigations are ongoing.
The case highlights growing concerns about impersonation of law enforcement personnel and the exploitation of business owners through intimidation.
