Continuing anti-coal smuggling drive on Friday morning, police seized 13 motorbikes loaded with 200 bags of illegal coal and also arrested one Santosh Bhokta of Armo village involved in the illegal trade under the Bokaro thermal police station here, SDPO, R. Ramkumar said .The coal, seized in 13 motorbikes, is weighed 2 tonnes which cost worth more than Rs 20,000.
The SDPO said the motorbikes ferrying illegal coal was caught at Budhagada more area in Nawadih /Bermo block.The coal was loaded on the bikes from abandoned mines in Govindpur and was being transported to other destination. About 10 to 12 coal smugglers managed to escape, police said. This is the second routine recovery of illegal coal in span of past one week.
Police had recently seized 11 motorcycles with illegal coal conducting drive in different part of the block. Bokaro SP, P Murugan, said that they instructed all police stations to stop illegal mining and transportation in the district or otherwise be ready to face the music. Economic crime will not be tolerated in the area, said Ramesh. Bokaro Thermal Inspector-cum-officer-in charge Umesh Kumar Thakur said that they can conduct raids at the spot where coal is excavated in Nawadih block.
But it is instruction of higher officials to concentrate on curbing illegal coal transportation first. Though the entire Nawadih block area is Maoist zone covered with thick forest, it will be difficult and risky for police but we are always ready to face and fight it.
