Coal smuggling racket ‘kingpin’ arrested in Cachar

GUWAHATI, Aug 4: Cachar Police have intensified operations to thwart illegal transportation of coal from Meghalaya into Barak Valley through Digorkhal check gate, following the arrest of a person believed to be a “kingpin” of the illegal coal racket on Sunday night.
Speaking to The Shillong Times on Wednesday, a Cachar district police official said that Nizam Uddin was arrested from his Damcherra residence and sent to judicial custody on Monday after he was produced in a Silchar court.
“His arrest was based on a tip-off following the interception of a truck laden with coal at Digorkhal check gate. As it is, we are keeping a close watch on vehicles at the check gate. Besides, motor vehicle inspectors and sales tax officials stationed there have of late intensified checking of vehicles there,” the police official said.
Reportedly, despite the state government’s steps to curb illegal transportation of coal from  Meghalaya to Barak Valley, a smuggling racket has been functioning over the past couple of months.
It now remains to be seen whether the police get custody of Nizam Uddin after the end of the judicial remand.
“We have not been able to investigate him as he was sent to judicial remand after being produced in court,” the official said, adding, “we are not letting our guard down as there could be many more brokers and agents connected to the smuggling racket.”
The Assam Cabinet had in June decided to curtail overloading of coal-laden trucks passing through the state by mandatorily checking the weight of the trucks at both Digorkhal and Srirampur interstate border gates.
The decision was taken with the objective of checking corruption and curbing coal syndicates in the state.
Coal-laden trucks are being measured at the two check gates and if any excess coal is found after they are weighed, the quantity is unloaded from the trucks.