New Delhi/Kolkata, Jan. 9 -- The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday carried out searches at the office of I-PAC and the residence of its director Pratik Jain linking it to the hawala money in its money laundering probe into the illegal coal mining scandal in West Bengal. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee stormed Jain's residence, where ED search was going on, took away documents and accused the financial crimes probe agency officials of seizing her party's internal documents and sensitive data. The agency accused the Trinamool Congress chief of interfering in the peaceful ED action and taking away evidence. The federal agency teams, accompanied by the paramilitary personnel, searched about 10 premises in West Bengal (6) and Delhi (4), including I-PAC's Salt Lake office in Kolkata and Jain's house at Loudon Street. ED said Jain's residence has been covered in the searches as they had specific information pertaining to certain hawala transactions related to the coal mining irregularities. Jain is also the IT head of TMC. Founded by Prashant Kishore, I-PAC has been instrumental in the Trinamool Congress's win in the 2021 assembly elections. The firm has also successfully managed campaigns for diverse parties such as Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Janata Dal United (JDU), and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). ED's money laundering probe in the matter is based on a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) First Information Report (FIR) registered in November 2020 on the allegations that coal pilferage at mass scale was taking place in Eastern Coalfields Ltd mines in Kunustoria and Kajora areas in West Bengal. The anti-money laundering probe agency has also questioned TMC's national general secretary and member of parliament Abhishek Banerjee in this case a couple of times in 2021 and 2022 alleging that he is a beneficiary of funds obtained in the illegal mining, which was flourishing in West Bengal under the 'patronage' of the political party in power. On its findings in the probe so far, ED said on Thursday that the coal smuggling syndicate led by key accused Anup Majee "used to steal and illegally excavate coal from ECL leasehold areas of West Bengal". "Thereafter, this coal was sold at various factories/plants located in Bankura, Bardhhaman, Purulia and other districts of West Bengal." "Investigation revealed that a large part of this coal was sold to the Shakambhari Group of companies. Investigation revealed a link with Hawala operators as well. Multiple evidence including statements of various persons confirmed the hawala nexus. One hawala operator linked to layering of proceeds of crime of coal smuggling had facilitated transactions of tens of crores of rupees to I-PAC. The persons linked to generation of coal smuggling proceeds, hawala operators and handlers are covered in PMLA search on Thursday. I-PAC is also one of the entities linked to hawala money," ED said in a statement. Terming the ED action as politically motivated and unconstitutional, Mamata Banerjee said, "They have raided the residence of our IT chief. They are confiscating my party's documents and hard disks, which have details about our candidates for the Assembly polls. I have brought those back." She also accused the central agency of trying to take away hard disks, mobile phones, candidate lists and internal strategy documents of the ruling party. "Is it the duty of the ED to collect a political party's data," she asked. "Proceedings were being conducted in a peaceful and professional manner, till the arrival of West Bengal CM, Mamata Baneerjee along with a large number of police officials. Banerjee entered the residential premises of Pratik Jain, and took away key evidence including physical documents and electronic devices," ED said in its statement. The CM's convoy, ED said, "then proceeded to I-PAC's office premises, from where she, her aides, and the state police personnel forcibly removed physical documents and electronic evidence". "The above actions have resulted in obstruction in ongoing investigation and proceedings under the prevention of money laundering act (PMLA)," the agency said in its statement. On allegations of Banerjee that ED searches were linked to the upcoming assembly elections, ED said - "the search is evidence based and is not targeted at any political establishment". "No party office has been searched. The search is not linked to any elections, and is part of a regular crackdown on money laundering. The search is conducted strictly in accordance with established legal safeguards," the agency added. The federal agency has previously claimed in its statements in this case that an amount of Rs 1,352 crore has been illegally generated through illegal coal mining....