A Bokaro thermal police team on Monday night recovered around 145 bags around 4 tonne of illegal coal by conducting a drive in the forest of Lukubad nadidhar area within limits of the same police station, said SP Bokaro Chandan Kumar Jha.
Coal smugglers were caught off-guard on Monday night, when Inspector-cum-Officer-in charge, Ravindra Kumar Singh along with Vikash Kumar, Devanand Kumar and other forces launched a sudden raid at Lukubad area,added SP.
Seeing the police party the smugglers beat a hasty retreat, nearly 145 bags of steam coal kept near bushes were recovered. Police sources said coal is carted on bicycle and others communication and dumped in the Lukubad, nadidhar forest area from where it is transported to other destinations.
With the sudden raids panic seems to have spread among some of the illegal traders in the locality.
Jha said he conveyed to all the officers-in –charge of all police stations of the Bokaro that he will not allow illegal mining and his movement against illegal mining of coal in Bokaro will continue unabated.
"Police found several heaps of illegal coal worth more than Rs lakh stocked at different places inside the buses in Lukubad area. These coals were illegally stolen from mines near Govindpur mines of the Central Coalfields Limited (CCL)," said police Inspector Ravindra Kumar Singh.
Bokaro Thermal police have also seized five motorcycles with 100 quintals of illegal coal conducting drive in Lukubad more recently.
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.