TURA: As many as six trucks carrying coal illegally through the North Garo Hills district were seized by police during an early morning raid on Wednesday.
According to police, the trucks were spotted in the Thapa Darenchi outpost while passing through with a private car reportedly escorting them. When signalled to stop, the convoy of almost a dozen vehicles coming from Songsak area in East Garo Hills sped away.
An alert was sounded and Resubelpara police seized the vehicles while it was trying to pass through their jurisdiction. Unfortunately, the first few vehicles in the convoy managed to get away by forcibly going through the police ‘naka’ check point. The remaining six trucks and the escorting private vehicle were seized.
“The vehicles were returning from Gasuapara port in SGH and had gone to Nongalbibra where coal was loaded onto the vehicles. The amounts were very low due to which it was almost undetectable at first. Most of the vehicles were carrying between 500 kgs to about 2 tonnes of coal,” informed police sources.
The trucks were allegedly being brought from Nongalbibra to Krishnai in Assam by the owner identified as Inchanur Hoque.
“They were found to be violating the order of the Supreme Court and a case has been filed accordingly against them,” said superintendent of police, Dr Sacheng Marak.
Meanwhile an illegal dump of coal was detected on the National Highway 51 near Bajengdoba of the same district. The load is reported to have been placed in the roadside for illegal transportation.
A local from the area has claimed the consignment was purchased the previous year but police have begun an investigation to verify his claims.