Rajkot: The State Monitoring Cell (SMC), working directly under the Director General of Police (DGP), on Friday unearthed a well-oiled racket of stealing imported coal in Kutch and replacing the consignment with substandard quality coal.
Acting on specific information, the SMC raided a field behind a highway hotel in Samakhiali and apprehended 15 persons along with 12 vehicles. In all, 559 metric tonnes (MT) of imported Australian coal worth Rs 46 lakh was seized. coal was unloaded Mundra and Navlakhi port.
Police said that the masterminds of the scam used to lure the drivers of trucks carrying coal from the ports to the fields by luring them with cash. The truck was then filled with substandard coal and dusted with water to ensure that it had the same weight when loaded at port.
Police arrested Jaideepgiri Goswami, Giriraj Singh Xalas And Mihir Barcha While the rest are laborers for loading and unloading coal. Six accused including the mastermind are absconding.
The total seizure, including coal, mobile phones and trucks, was worth Rs 1.75 crore.
“It is a statewide racket which is flourishing with the connivance of the transporters and buyers of imported coal. The involvement of the local police cannot be ruled out,” a senior SMC official told TOI.
Earlier on June 29, a similar racket was busted by the SMC team. Santalpur 220 metric tonnes of imported petcoke, 120 metric tonnes of substandard coal, 35 metric tonnes of mixed coal and other equipment and vehicles, totaling Rs 2.16 crore, were seized in Babra village of taluka of Patan district.
Police said that both the accused Kuldeep Zala and Jeetu Barcha He was the mastermind of both these rackets. In Patan case, the stolen petcoke was sent to Rajasthan. Jala is a resident of Jamnagar and Barcha is a resident of Morbi.
Acting on specific information, the SMC raided a field behind a highway hotel in Samakhiali and apprehended 15 persons along with 12 vehicles. In all, 559 metric tonnes (MT) of imported Australian coal worth Rs 46 lakh was seized. coal was unloaded Mundra and Navlakhi port.
Police said that the masterminds of the scam used to lure the drivers of trucks carrying coal from the ports to the fields by luring them with cash. The truck was then filled with substandard coal and dusted with water to ensure that it had the same weight when loaded at port.
Police arrested Jaideepgiri Goswami, Giriraj Singh Xalas And Mihir Barcha While the rest are laborers for loading and unloading coal. Six accused including the mastermind are absconding.
The total seizure, including coal, mobile phones and trucks, was worth Rs 1.75 crore.
“It is a statewide racket which is flourishing with the connivance of the transporters and buyers of imported coal. The involvement of the local police cannot be ruled out,” a senior SMC official told TOI.
Earlier on June 29, a similar racket was busted by the SMC team. Santalpur 220 metric tonnes of imported petcoke, 120 metric tonnes of substandard coal, 35 metric tonnes of mixed coal and other equipment and vehicles, totaling Rs 2.16 crore, were seized in Babra village of taluka of Patan district.
Police said that both the accused Kuldeep Zala and Jeetu Barcha He was the mastermind of both these rackets. In Patan case, the stolen petcoke was sent to Rajasthan. Jala is a resident of Jamnagar and Barcha is a resident of Morbi.