ED officials raid chamber of doctor to find Rs10lakh worth new notes and foreign currency in Kolkata

KOLKATA,DEC1:Enforcement Directorate officials raided the chamber of a well-known doctor in Salt Lake on Wednesday and recovered bundles of new notes. Their value had already crossed Rs 10 lakh by late evening and counting was still on.

Raids also led ED officials to hawala operators in the city who are hoarding these new notes and trying to siphon it off through illegal routes. The raid on the doctor also yielded foreign currency worth lakhs. “There were dollars, euros, dirham and Bangladeshi taka worth Rs 5 lakh in a locker in his chamber,” an ED officer said.

“We are looking into the doctor’s source of income. With the government-stipulated withdrawal limits in place, it is difficult for someone to possess so much cash in new currency notes,” the officer said.

The ED conducted raids on six premises in Kolkata during the day , including three in Burrabazar, as part of a countrywide operation. According to an ED officer, the hawala operators in Burrabazar, it se ems, have already changed their modus operandi. “During the raids we learned that they are taking the help of white-collar professionals like doctors to stash away money,” he said.