CISF seizes 250 tonnes of coal in Latehar as five trucks abandoned near Ojha Tandi

Ranchi, October 5: The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) foiled an attempt to steal coal in Jharkhand's Latehar district on Monday, seizing five tipper trucks carrying about 250 tonnes of coal. The seizure is part of a widening crackdown on theft and pilferage in areas run by Central Coalfields Limited (CCL), a Coal India subsidiary, an official said.

CISF Deputy Inspector General Sumant Singh told PTI that a joint team of the force and CCL acted on intelligence about theft and illegal dumping of coal in a forest area near Ojha Tandi village. The operation began around 3 am on October 5, after the team learnt that five Hyva vehicles were at the spot.

The drivers abandoned their vehicles and fled when they saw the CISF personnel, Singh said. The trucks were found loaded with roughly 250 tonnes of coal. The vehicles and the coal were handed over to Balumath police station, which has registered an FIR.

The operation follows other recent seizures. Last month, the force seized around 250 tonnes of coal from an isolated spot near CCL's Phulbasia Siding in Latehar. That was the first major enforcement action after the CISF's formal induction in the CCL Magadh and Amrapali areas on September 19. On September 30, it seized 207 tonnes of coal near a Bokaro village close to a mine, after locating the site through drone surveillance, Singh said. A raid team, a Quick Response Team and tracker dogs searched the area. 

The CISF said it has been tightening security across major coal-producing areas to curb theft, pilferage and illegal transport. Such operations will continue, with a focus on finding isolated storage points and breaking the chain through which stolen coal is gathered and then moved in larger commercial vehicles.