Crackdown on mining mafia in Una, 6 arrested

Shimla, January 16

In the crackdown on mining mafia in Una district, police and the mining department recovered one poclain excavator, one JCB, four tipper trucks and nine tractors engaged in illegal mining and transportation from the river bed. Six persons have been arrested and booked under relevant sections of the Mines and Minerals Act, IPC and Environment Act.

The police had identified five hotspots in the district along the Punjab-Himachal boundary and carried out searches on the intervening night of January 15 and 16. The operation against the illegal mining was carried out by seven additional police platoons consisting of more than 150 police personnel.

The raids were conducted at Bathu-Bathri-Santoshgarh, Khanpur – Nangal Khurd – Fatehpur, Ghaluwal, Basal and Jankaur areas throughout the night.

The police official said that people engaged in illegal mining activity take advantage of jurisdictional boundary between Punjab and Himachal.

Sanjay Kundu, Director General of Police, Himachal Pradesh said, “The state police is committed to ensure zero tolerance policy against the mining mafia and stringent action is being taken against the persons involved in the illegal activity.”