The CBI on Thursday conducted simultaneous raids in West Burdwan, Malda and Calcutta and arrested two persons in connection with the alleged multi-crore coal scam being probed by the central agency.

The two arrested are coal transporter Snehasish Talukdar, who was picked up from his residence in West Burdwan's Hirapur, and retired CISF constable Shyamal Singh, who is a resident in Malda district's Ratua.

Talukdar allegedly is close to Anup Maji aka Lala, a prime accused in the coal smuggling scam, while Singh is a business partner of the coal transporter. The CBI has confiscated Singh's phones and seized documents.

Till the filing of the report, CBI sleuths are raiding several addresses of Singh in Malda and Calcutta. Singh, who retired a couple of years ago, was visiting his Ratua residence in Malda for his niece's wedding.

Sources said Singh was posted at IISCO Steel Plant and several coal mines in Asansol during his service period and allegedly used to work for Lala and another scrap iron dealer named Imtiaz Ahmed Khan of Burnpur. Sources added Singh used to act as a link between Lala and Imtiaz and CISF officials guarding coal mines and steel plants in West Burdwan.

Imtiaz is already under the scanner of the income tax department and a raid was on at his residence in Burnpur for the past 32 hours. The IT department also raided the Burnpur residence of former Trinamul Congress MLA Mohammed Sohrab Ali and his wife Nargis Banu.

The central agency recently pleaded before the special court of CBI in Asansol to conduct the raids based on certain information and evidence of links between the suspects and Lala.

The CBI sleuths split themselves into a few groups and began the raids early on Thursday morning. Apart from the raids on Talukdar and Singh, a five-member team also raided the rented flat of transporter Souvik Achariya in Durgapur. Achariya was not present during the raid.

Sources said some CISF senior officials are under the CBI scanner.