During the search, digital devices and incriminating documents including diaries/ledgers were seized and statements of the key persons were recorded wherein it was revealed that despite the ban on mining in the last decade, illegal rat hole mining was being rampantly done under inhuman conditions and without any safety for the illegal miners.
ED initiated investigation on the basis of FIR registered in Shallang, Meghalaya under various sections of the IPC, 1860 MMDR Act, 2015, Environment (Protection) Act,1986, Explosive Substances Act, 1883 and Benami Transaction (Prohibition) Act, 1988. During the search, it was found that Managers, Sardars and labourers were engaged in illegal coal mining in the area of Jadigittim, South Garo Hills using primitive tools.
It was noticed that around 20 mines are being run illegally in Era Aning and Goreng area. Few of the labourers were handed over to local Police to investigate in the matter on the suspicion of their identities/nationality.
ED investigation further revealed that a syndicate having persons from Meghalaya and Assam is in-charge of ensuring that the trucks containing illegal coal clear the borders of Meghalaya and enter Assam without any checking/ restrictions where papers were prepared to show this as legally mined coal. The syndicate used to charge Rs. 1.27 Lakh to Rs 1.5 Lakh per truck from the mine owners in the name of commission/patronage in cash.The illegally mined coal was stored at depots located at Jogighopa, Assam. Thereafter it was transported to different industries like cement industry, brick kiln, Iron & Steel industry and illegal coke plants. Some part of the illegally mined coal was directly transported to the illegal coke plant from the Depot in the North-Eastern Region.It is further revealed that the persons who operate the depot at Jogighopa, Assam are also involved in this business of fake bills/invoice through which the illegally mined coal is shown to be purchased from some legally operated mines in Assam thereto making it to look genuine business transaction. Most of the transactions take place in cash through these operators and fake bills/invoices for the same are generated to give it the colour of genuine transitions. It is further revealed that the cash so generated in the process was collected by the syndicate and was being stored at the places of the cash handlers. These cash handlers were searched and diaries containing cash in/out was also seized.
It was further revealed that the coal mine owners and the syndicate people used to coordinate with illegal coal mine operators in Margherita Tinsukia to make it appear to be mined from legally sourced mines. From the documents seized and the statement of the Managers, Mine owners and labourers, it was revealed that 5-7 trucks were loaded every day from each mine. Each truck use to carry 12-16 Tonnes of illegally mined coal. So, the moderate estimate of the illegal coal mined per day from the Era Aning and Goreng area of South Garo Hills is around 1200 tonnes per day (Aprox). The Mine owners used to get Rs. 5000- 10000 per truck as their net profit after taking care of all the expenses.
During the search, cash of Rs. 1.58 Crore, digital devices like laptops, mobile phones and two high end vehicles suspected to be purchased out of the Proceeds of Crime was seized. Further investigation is under progress.
