KHLIEHRIAT: In a high-stakes operation aimed at crushing illegal mining activities, the East Jaintia Hills Police today executed a massive “Search and Seizure” raid in Rangad Villages, netting a dangerous haul of explosives and nearly 176 Metric Tons of illicit coal.
Acting on precise intelligence, tactical teams descended upon the outskirts of Rangad. During the meticulous search of the site, officers uncovered a hidden cache of 204 Gelatin Sticks—high-grade explosives packed into 10 separate packets inside a single carton box.
The discovery didn’t stop there. Stretching across the site were two towering stockpiles of coal, clearly extracted in defiance of environmental and legal bans:
Heap 1: A colossal mound weighing approximately 153.4 MT.
Heap 2: A secondary cache weighing 22.3 MT.
Combined, the police have seized a staggering 175.7 Metric Tons of coal, dealing a significant financial blow to the illegal mining cartels operating in the district.
This strike is part of an intensified campaign by the district police to dismantle the “rat-hole” mining network and the unauthorized use of dangerous explosives, which pose a severe threat to public safety and the region’s ecology.
“We are tracing the origin of these explosives and identifying the kingpins behind this operation,” a police source stated. A formal case has been registered under relevant sections of the law.
Authorities have made it clear that the hunt is on, and more raids are expected as they move to arrest those responsible for this brazen violation of the law.
