Ranchi, Sep 24 The CISF on Thursday seized around 250 tonnes of coal from an isolated location near Coal India arm Central Coalfields Ltd’s (CCL) Phulbasia Siding in Jharkhand’s Latehar district during an operation to check pilferage of the dry fuel, an official said.
The seizure was the first major enforcement action by the force after its formal induction in the Magadh and Amrapali areas of CCL on September 19, he said.
The newly inducted Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) formation has been tasked with strengthening security, surveillance and enforcement against coal theft, pilferage and unauthorised storage and transportation.
“In an intelligence-led operation against coal theft and pilferage, the CISF seized around 250 tonnes of Grade-9 coal from an isolated location near Phulbasia Siding. The seizure marks the first major enforcement achievement of the force, following its formal induction in the CCL Magadh and Amrapali areas on September 19,” CISF Deputy Inspector General Sumant Singh told PTI.
The operation was conducted around 11 am on September 23 following specific inputs about suspected illegal accumulation and storage of coal, he said.
A CISF team, supported by a Quick Reaction Team (QRT), raided the identified location and recovered around 250 tonnes of Grade-9 coal, the official said.
The operation was led by Deputy Commandant Ajay Pandey, along with Assistant Commandants Subhash Kumar and Harsh Lawaniya, under the supervision of Commandant Amir Kumar.
According to preliminary inputs, the suspected modus operandi involved manually moving coal from the siding area to isolated locations away from active mining and operational areas.
Small quantities of coal were allegedly transported using makeshift bicycles fitted with four plastic-rope baskets, with each bicycle carrying around half a tonne of coal in a single trip, officials claimed.
“The accumulated coal was subsequently intended to be moved from these isolated locations using larger commercial vehicles, including trucks. The use of intermediate storage points and multiple stages of transportation appears to have been adopted to conceal the movement of the coal and facilitate its subsequent transportation,” Singh said.
The operation assumes significance in the context of the CISF’s role in supporting the government’s Zero Coal Leakage initiative, the official said.
The force is expected to continue intelligence-based surveillance and raids at locations suspected to be used for illegal accumulation, storage or movement of coal, with a focus on identifying isolated storage points and disrupting the alleged transportation chain.
CISF officials said such operations will continue in the coming days, with focus on identifying isolated storage points and disrupting the chain through which pilfered coal is accumulated and subsequently transported through larger commercial vehicles.
The CISF’s enforcement role has also been strengthened through statutory powers vested in designated officers under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR Act).
Under the relevant provisions, authorised officers can undertake searches and inspections in cases involving suspected illegal mining or storage of minerals and take further action in accordance with law.
(PTI News)
