Jhumpura: Despite raids and patrolling, the illegal transportation of mineral ores is still going on in forest areas of Jhumpura block in Keonjhar district.
The seizure of 35 tonnes of iron ore in Kaliapal forest under Bamebari police limits Tuesday exposes the illegal trade. Police arrested three persons involved in it.
People in the area had earlier alleged that manganese and iron ore were being transported from Joda area to reserve forest areas in Malda panchayat.
People from Jharkhand have been engaged as labourers to facilitate the illegal transportation of ores.
Locals were keeping a watch on ore stocked in the forests and had also filed a police complaint. Although it was late on the part of the police, action was finally taken, locals said.
Police carried out raids for two days and seized a truck and 35 tonnes of iron ore. The arrested men were identified as Ranjit Gagrai and Subash Chakaraborty of Dhanbad and Gura Nayak of Kaliapal slum. The three were produced in a court.
During the raid, local people opposed the raiding team saying that they should not be put to difficulty for the faults of others. Everyone should not be brought under the purview of the investigation, the locals said.
A few months ago, the police had seized a truck at Nayagad under Bamebari police limits which was illegally transporting manganese ore. The driver of the truck was arrested. The illegal manganese ore was covered with a layer of iron pellets.
A police team raided a forest in Nayagad. Two youths RD Mohant and Sambhu Munda saw the police patrol and fled.
Manganese ore and pellets were being loaded illegally on the truck there. Police seized nearly 10 tonnes of iron pellets and 25 tonnes of ‘A’ grade manganese ore.
The mines department had taken several measures to check the illegal mining and transport of mineral ores. But illegal mining is thriving in the area exposing the laxity of the mines department, locals said.