The Birbhum Police in West Bengal have initiated an intensive manhunt for Mohammad Nazibullah, known locally as Tulu Mondal, following coordinated raids across multiple properties believed to belong to the businessman, who is widely suspected of maintaining close ties to the Trinamool Congress party. Law enforcement agencies have issued a formal lookout notice for Mondal, who is thought to have departed India along with his wife, daughter, son-in-law and TMC leader Abdul Barik Biswas before results of state elections were released, suggesting a coordinated escape.
The investigation has uncovered troubling connections between Mondal and known smugglers. Abdul Barik Biswas, one of those who fled with Mondal, carries a lengthy criminal record that includes a 2014 customs arrest for gold smuggling operations. The Enforcement Directorate subsequently attached Biswas's properties valued at Rs20 crore in May 2015 after establishing that his smuggling activities were financed through cross-border cattle trafficking networks originating from Bangladesh. According to investigative files, Biswas worked in close association with Enamul Haque, identified as a major figure in transnational cattle smuggling and previously arrested by both the ED and Central Bureau of Investigation.
Raids conducted on Friday revealed the considerable scale of Mondal's accumulated wealth and the sophisticated nature of his holdings. A 15-hour search operation at Mondal's Suri residence, overseen by DSP Surajit Mondal, DSP Sourav Bhattacharya and Inspector Shailendra Upadhyay, uncovered Rs8 lakh in cash and 150 grams of gold ornaments within the residence itself. The property, a sprawling luxury home equipped with gymnasium, spa, swimming pool and entertainment lounge facilities, provides insight into the lifestyle maintained by Mondal. Simultaneous operations targeted his ancestral home in Sonsthol, multiple petrol stations and a truck parking facility in Mohammad Bazar, with police posting permanent pickets at all identified locations.
The scope of asset seizure demonstrates the scale of Mondal's financial operations. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari revealed that Rs93 crore across multiple bank accounts has been frozen, whilst 242 high-end vehicles have been recovered from various residences, including two premium automobiles from his Subhaspally garage. Beyond liquid assets and vehicles, authorities have initiated proceedings to attach 21 immovable properties comprising seven residential houses, multiple farmhouses, parking facilities, two petrol stations, two stone crushing operations and approximately 300 bighas of agricultural land. These figures underscore a business empire extending far beyond legitimate commerce into multiple economic sectors.
The investigation gained momentum following public exposure of Mondal's extraordinary personal expenditure earlier this year. His daughter Salma's wedding, held recently, reportedly cost Rs150 crore and drew prominent figures from Bollywood, Tollywood, entertainment and political spheres. International décor firms were contracted to create a venue modelled on the Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur, whilst the bridegroom's entrance featured a chariot procession accompanied by security personnel dressed in ancient Greek costumes. The celebration effectively paralysed Mohammad Bazar for two consecutive days, with major thoroughfares sealed and access restricted exclusively to invited guests bearing specially designed security wristbands. The wedding's extravagance ultimately attracted regulatory attention that catalysed the current investigation.
Evidence indicates that Mondal has orchestrated his escape with sophistication, allegedly relocating to Dubai whilst maintaining operational control of his business interests remotely. Local residents recently intercepted a vehicle transporting large quantities of documents from a farmhouse property, with the driver disclosing that Mondal's manager had instructed him to conceal paperwork including transportation permits and billing documents related to sand and stone operations. This attempted document concealment suggests awareness of impending investigation and deliberate efforts to obstruct inquiry into the financial mechanisms underlying his operations.
The arrest of Minar Mondal, identified as Tulu Mondal's brother-in-law, has yielded significant additional evidence. Police raiding Minar's residence in Deucha village discovered more than Rs50 crore in cash and gold, which Minar subsequently admitted belonged to Tulu Mondal and had been accumulated through various syndicate operations. A subsequent eight-day remand in police custody is expected to yield further details regarding the operational structure of these syndicates. Additionally, a major seizure recovered 15 kilograms of 24-carat gold bars and biscuits manufactured in Switzerland and Dubai, suggesting international dimensions to the smuggling network.
Birbhum Superintendent of Police Vidit Raj Bhundesh characterised the raids as ongoing, with continued asset attachments anticipated as financial investigations deepen. The evidence pattern suggests a multi-layered operation encompassing cattle smuggling, gold trafficking, stone and sand transportation, petrol station operations and land holdings, all coordinated under Mondal's direction. The involvement of known smugglers and the international manufacturing origins of recovered gold indicate transnational criminal connections extending beyond West Bengal's boundaries.
For Southeast Asian observers, particularly Malaysians, this case illuminates vulnerabilities in cross-border enforcement mechanisms that permit major smuggling operations to persist despite regulatory apparatus. The cattle-to-gold smuggling pipeline connecting Bangladesh and India demonstrates how contiguous borders facilitate illicit commerce when oversight remains fragmented. Malaysia's experience with gold smuggling networks suggests comparable operational methods and the necessity of multilateral intelligence sharing to disrupt such syndicates effectively. The apparent ease with which Mondal relocated assets and fled internationally underscores persistent challenges in freezing transnational financial flows before actors escape jurisdiction.
