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A Ledo-based coal mafia exploits the loopholes in the system and bypasses multiple police jurisdictions late at night. He operates trucks carrying coal illegally, ‘throwing dust in the eyes of security agencies’ and evading government revenue.
A CORRESPONDENT
DIGBOI: In a significant crackdown on illegal coal transportation, Margherita Police recently intercepted and seized four trucks carrying illicit coal along National Highway 315 in the Tinsukia district.
The trucks, identified by registration numbers AS 02 CC 9391, AS 01 SC 5036, AS 01 RC 3069, and AS 01 SC 6109, were found transporting coal extracted from unauthorised mining sites in Ledo. The vehicles were reportedly en route to Guwahati when apprehended during routine night patrolling. The drivers and handymen accompanying the trucks have been taken into custody. Authorities have launched a detailed investigation to dismantle the network behind these illegal operations.
Speaking to The Sentinel on Saturday morning, Tinsukia SSP Abhijit Dilip Gaurav said that the police “never spare any illegalities, including the illegal coal trade.” He highlighted recent successes in intercepting several trucks carrying illegally-procured coal.
Ironically, areas such as Ledo, Paharpur, Borgolai, Malugaon, and Tipong have witnessed heaps of illegally mined coal waiting to be loaded and transported.
Sources reveal that a powerful Ledo-based coal mafia dominates much of the illegal trade, exploiting loopholes and bypassing multiple police jurisdictions late at night. A former coal trader added that while the nearby Kharsang mines in Arunachal Pradesh legally dispatch their coal consignments, these illegal vehicles operate in parallel, effectively “dusting the eyes of security agencies” and evading government revenue.
The persistent scale of illegal mining has also raised serious questions over the gross security failures of Coal India authorities in curbing the menace. Observers and local residents have criticized the leniency of Assam Police over a period of time, suggesting that enforcement has been inadequate in preventing large-scale smuggling operations.
The pressing questions are emerging: who is running the illegal coal empires? Who is collecting entry fees to ensure the safe movement of these trucks? These questions gain urgency as the government continues to claim that there are no illegalities in the coal trade in Margherita.
This operation forms part of ongoing efforts by Assam Police to curb illegal coal mining and transportation in the region. Despite the existing ban on mining in the Patkai Hills, illegal activities persist, with coal being smuggled from multiple mining sites across the area.
The seizure of these trucks may signal a temporary victory, but the scale and audacity of illegal coal operations in Margherita reveal a deeply entrenched network that continues to thrive despite bans, regulations, and periodic police crackdowns.
With heaps of illegally mined coal waiting to be transported at several Assam-Arunachal border locations, parallel operations running alongside legitimate consignments, and questions mounting over the role of authorities and the influence of local mafias, it is clear that piecemeal enforcement is no longer enough.
Experts and residents alike are calling for transparent, decisive, and sustained action to dismantle the illegal coal empires, hold perpetrators accountable, and restore both law and revenue integrity in the region.
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