Assam CID seizes coal-laden trucks near Meghalaya border

GUWAHATI: The Central Investigation Department (CID) of Assam Police seized as many as 11 coal-laden trucks at Koinadhara in the Khanapara area here during a search operation in the wee hours of Sunday.
Police sources said the trucks were carrying coal without any documents and had to be seized for necessary verification.
Of the 11 trucks, three have been kept under the custody of Basistha Police Station while the rest have been brought to the CID campus here.
However, police did not revert when asked whether any arrests have been made in connection with the seizure. The search was conducted in connection with CID PS Case No. 06/2018.
Meanwhile, over 20 coal trucks originating from Garo Hills have been penalised for overloading during the course of an ongoing drive in Goalpara district, police sources confirmed on Sunday.
“We started the drive against overloaded trucks following an order by the district administration about four days back and have imposed fines on about 24 overloaded coal trucks in the Dhumra and Dudhnoi areas so far,” district transport officer, A Borgohain told The Shillong Times late Sunday evening.
“Today, we penalised four such trucks found to have been carrying coal above the specified quantity. Yesterday, 12 trucks were fined at Dudhnoi and eight the day before at Dhumra,” he said.
Borgohain said the trucks which were coming from Salang area in Garo Hills were allowed to proceed to their destination once the fine was paid. “As per rules, we charge about Rs 3000 for overloading and Rs 1000 extra for each metric tonne thereafter,” he added.
He further said the drive would continue till the orders from the district administration remained effective.
The seizure of the coal trucks close to the Assam-Meghalaya border and the penalty come at a time when rescue teams from multiple agencies, including Indian Navy and NDRF, are on the job to trace at least 15 miners who are trapped inside a flooded illegal rat-hole mine in East Jaintia Hills since December 13.
Despite a ban on coal mining in the Northeast region imposed by the National Green Tribunal, illegal exploration of the “black diamond,” as coal is referred to, has been continuing unabated in different parts of Assam and Meghalaya.