The Central Industrial Security Force recovered 428.34 metric tonnes of illegally mined or transported coal during operations from July 4 to 8 in Jharkhand and West Bengal.
The recoveries took place in coalfields operated by Bharat Coking Coal Limited, Eastern Coalfields Limited and Central Coalfields Limited. Four First Information Reports were registered, one Hyva truck and more than 13 motorcycles were seized, and legal proceedings under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act were initiated.
The operations formed part of the government’s zero coal leakage initiative. They involved intelligence gathering, drone surveillance, route monitoring and document checks at depots and weighbridges.
On July 5, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy reviewed the issue in a high-level meeting. The Home Minister directed officials to exercise powers under the MMDR Act rigorously, involve GST authorities to verify e-way bills and form quick-response teams for vulnerable areas.
