Two trucks laden with illegal coal were seized in a raid conducted by the CCL security near Govindpur project area of Bokaro here on Wednesday night. Later security altered the Bokaro thermal police.
Officer-in Charge of Bokaro Thermal Prameshear Leyangi said that the vehicles were about to illegally take away coal from the Govindpur CCL project area and started on the way when the CCL security forces team conducted a surprise raid near exit point.
A case has been registered with the police in connection with the incident. Moreover, two persons including the owner of the truck, and the driver managed to escape.
The capture of trucks loaded with 30 tonnes of illegal coal from the area towards the fact that CCL security has so far been unable to effectively check the activities of the coal mafias in the Bermo area, sources added.
Coal smuggling in on the rise in CCL project area in entire Bermo, despite claims by the district administration officials that illegal mining has been brought under control, sources said.
The coal traders have now adopted novel method of illegally mining coal from the Damodar and Konar river basins where they have dug up permanent tunnels hidden under a thin layer of sand.
The coal is transported by bullock carts and by motorcycles to dumps along the national highway and Nawadih forest areas.
The trucks now ply from Narki, Kanjkiro, Visungrah, and Bagodar areas through the GT road from 1am to 5am every morning to make sure that the entire coal is transported out of Jharkhand before day break, added Source.