SHILLONG: After being criticised for failing to curb illegal mining in East Jaintia Hills, the district police conducted raids in different places and arrested five persons in connection with illegal coal mining.
On Monday, police conducted a mine raid in Moolait, Sutnga area in East Jaintia Hills and detected five labourers — Md Taiabur Rahman Lasker, Indra Bahadur Thapa, Md Monjul Hussain, Md Karim Uddin and Amrit Rai — while they were extracting coal from a mine belonging to Ladeng Pakem.
However, there was no report of arresting the mine owner.
Meanwhile, on January 1, the Enforcement Inspector (T) North Garo Hills lodged a complaint that one coal laden truck with Meghalaya registration was found abandoned at Resu-Radi between Berubari and Resubelpara, with broken windshield and headlight.