Kolkata, Nov 7 (PTI) The Enforcement Directorate on Friday conducted simultaneous searches in West Bengal as part of a money laundering investigation into an alleged "organised" human trafficking and prostitution racket being operated in certain bars and restaurants, officials said.

At least eight premises in Bidhannagar (North 24 Parganas district), Kolkata and Siliguri were raided by the federal probe agency under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said.

The money laundering case stems from multiple FIRs and chargesheets filed by the state police against the accused, identified as Jagjit Singh, Ajmal Siddiqui, Bishnu Mundra and others.

According to officials, the accused "exploited" vulnerable women under false employment promises and coerced them into prostitution to generate substantial "illicit" funds.

These funds, acquired in cash and worth crores of rupees, were laundered through multiple companies under their control, the officials alleged. PTI NES MPL MPL

Money laundering probe targets alleged human trafficking-prostitution network; searches seek to trace illicit proceeds and corporate layering. The Enforcement Directorate, invoking the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, investigated an alleged organised human trafficking and prostitution network where accused persons purportedly exploited vulnerable women to generate illicit cash proceeds and laundered those proceeds through multiple companies; the inquiry follows multiple FIRs and chargesheets by state police and included simultaneous searches at eight premises to locate and seize assets and trace fund movements.