Assam's Security Forces Crack Cross-Border Smuggling Racket, Detain Three

Chirang: In a decisive move against cross-border resource smuggling, security forces intercepted two illegal extraction operations along the Indo-Bhutan frontier in Assam. This action lead to the detention of three individuals and the confiscation of heavy vehicles loaded with stones and timber.

Acting on intelligence inputs, personnel from the 6th Battalion of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) conducted a patrol in Shantipur, around 14 kilometres from the Dadgiri border pillar. During the operation, they intercepted two dumpers carrying illegally mined stones. The drivers were taken into custody, and both vehicles were handed over to the Runikhata Forest Department for further investigation.

Later in the day, another SSB team from the Aie Powali external border outpost launched a separate operation based on fresh inputs. The patrol team in the Aie Powali-II area intercepted a tractor-trolley transporting nearly 150 cubic feet of illegally felled timber. The suspect, along with the seized vehicle and consignment, was handed over to the forest authorities for legal proceedings.

The Forest Department has initiated proceedings under relevant sections of the Mining and Forest Conservation Acts, and further investigations are underway.

Authorities commended the coordinated response by SSB personnel and forest officers, emphasising that continued vigilance and inter-agency cooperation are crucial to curbing the growing menace of environmental crimes in Assam’s border belts.

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