Even though the enforcement squad consisting of the officials of various departments like Mining, Forest and police claims that mineral theft has come down after a recent crackdown on mafias in Keonjhar, the fact is the theft is on and that too, it is committed by devising new methods.
Earlier, the theft minerals were carried by truck and train, but now ,the mining mafias are carrying the theft material in four -wheeler like Bollero and others smaller vehicles, ostensibly to avoid the attention of the enforcement squad.
On Wednesday Joda IIC Sumit Kumar Soren arrested and court forwarded four culprits on the charges of violations of MMDR Acts and other laws. The culprits were trying to send four tons of high grade manganese being covered in 10 packets by two Bolero jeeps to dispatch to neighbouring Jharkhand en route Bilaipada situated in Odisha- Jharkhand border.
However, Soren on a tipoff seized the vehicles and confiscated materials in front of the Joda Truck Owners’ Association office near Kumarjoda. The arrested persons were identified as Abinash Tiwari (23) from Bihar, Mithun Mahakud (22) from Joda, Damodar (32) from Tamil Nadu and Kaushal Kumar Singh (23) from Jharkhand. Earlier, there were frequent complaints of inter-State mining theft in the Bilaipada area but no action was taken. Now, it is demanded that the involvement of mine owners in the racket be probed.