ED seizes cash from premises of minor mineral mafias in Odisha

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday (January 16, 2026) seized ₹2.5 crore in cash from individuals allegedly involved in illegal and unauthorised excavation and sale of minor minerals, including sand and black stone, in Odisha’s Ganjam district.

According to the ED’s Bhubaneswar Zonal Office, the searches were conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 at multiple premises linked to the illegal mining operations.

“The premises searched belong to brokers, mafias with serious criminal antecedents and their associated business partners. These include gangsters and local strongmen who, using muscle power, have been forcibly carrying out illegal mining of minor minerals by exploiting and terrorising people in their areas,” the agency said in a statement.

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had recently flagged rampant illegal mining along the riverbeds of the Rushikulya, Bahuda, and Bada rivers in Ganjam district, resulting in significant losses to the government exchequer. The ED said the exact amount of cash seized would be disclosed at a later stage.