Guwahati: In a major revelation, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has confirmed that illegal rat-hole mining continues unabated in Meghalaya, despite the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) decade-old ban.
The ED reported that mine operators are extracting approximately 1,200 tonnes of coal every day under hazardous and inhuman conditions.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
On Thursday, the Shillong sub-zonal ED team launched coordinated raids at 15 locations across South Garo Hills in Meghalaya and parts of Assam, including Jogighopa, Margherita, and Guwahati.
These raids, conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), targeted illegal coal mining and unlicensed coke plants.
Investigators uncovered a widespread network where Meghalaya-based coal mine owners and syndicate operators collaborate with miners in Assam’s Margherita to disguise illegally mined coal as legitimate.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
ED officials reported seizing key documents and recording statements from managers, mine owners, and labourers.
These accounts confirmed that each mine dispatches 5–7 trucks daily, with each truck carrying 12–16 tonnes of illegal coal.
From South Garo Hills’ Era Aning and Goreng areas alone, ED officials estimated a daily extraction of roughly 1,200 tonnes of coal.
Mine owners reportedly earn Rs 5,000–10,000 per truck after covering operational costs.
During the operation, ED personnel seized Rs 1.58 crore in cash, digital devices, mobile phones, laptops, and two high-end vehicles believed to be bought with illicit profits.
Officials also confiscated ledgers, diaries, and other incriminating documents that detailed the illegal operations.
The ED initiated this investigation based on an FIR registered in Shallang, citing violations under multiple laws, including the IPC, MMDR Act, Environment Protection Act, Explosive Substances Act, and the Benami Transaction Act.
In Jadigittim, South Garo Hills, ED teams found mine managers, sardars, and labourers actively engaged in mining with primitive tools.
Officials identified about 20 illegally operated mines in the Era Aning and Goreng regions. Authorities handed over several labourers to local police for verification of their identities and nationalities.
The investigation also exposed a powerful syndicate operating across Assam and Meghalaya, which facilitates the transport of illegal coal across state borders.
The group collects between Rs 1.27–1.5 lakh per truck in “commissions” from mine owners and forges documents to pass off the coal as legally sourced.
ED officials reported that syndicate members store the coal at depots in Jogighopa before transporting it to industries across the Northeast and other parts of India.
Depot operators generate fake invoices to make it appear as though the coal originated from licensed mines in Assam.
ED also discovered that syndicate handlers stockpile the cash collected from these illegal transactions.
The investigation is ongoing, with more findings expected in the coming days.