The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested two men in Kolkata for impersonating senior ED officers and allegedly extorting over Rs 1.5 crore from a sand mining businessman based in Rabindrasani.
The main accused, Jinner Ali, and his associate Sinner Ali, are accused of running an elaborate con between 2023 and June 2025, during which they posed not only as ED officials but also claimed to be heads of an anti-trafficking committee.
According to officials familiar with the case, the duo roamed around in a white Fortuner SUV that had fake ED board plates, which they used to add credibility to their threats. They reportedly summoned businessmen to locations such as the CGO Complex and other government buildings, where they would threaten them with investigations, arrests, and asset attachments unless payments were made.
The ED launched a series of raids on Wednesday morning in connection with the case. The investigation has revealed that one of the victims, a businessman in the sand mining sector, was coerced into transferring Rs 20 lakh to a company account allegedly controlled by the accused. Officials are now verifying the ownership and beneficiaries of that company.
An FIR was registered earlier in June with Kolkata Police, and following leads, ED officials began probing the matter. The duo allegedly used fear of prosecution to extort payments, threatening to freeze accounts and seize properties. Investigators believe the businessman paid a total of around Rs 1.5 crore over multiple installments spanning two years.
Sources indicate that this may not be an isolated case. Officials suspect that more businessmen may have been targeted by Jinner Ali and Sinner Ali using similar tactics. The agency is now working to identify additional victims and trace the full extent of the fraud.
The case has raised serious concerns about impersonation of law enforcement personnel and the vulnerability of business owners to such intimidation tactics. The ED is continuing its probe and has not ruled out the possibility of a wider network being involved.