The Rajasthan Police has busted a gang involved in stealing high-quality, imported coal during transportation from the Gujarat port to northern states via Rajasthan, officials said on Thursday.
According to the crime branch of the state police, coal imported from the US and Russia worth around Rs 10 crore was being stolen every day from trucks transporting to Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.
Thirteen teams of the crime branch conducted raids at around a dozen places in five districts of Jalore, Pali, Barmer, Bikaner and Jodhpur and detained 19 people, including drivers and cleaners of the trucks on Wednesday night. The teams also seized trucks, tractors, machines, and 1,850 tons of stolen coal, they said.
The action was taken on the direction of Additional Director General of Police (crime) Dinesh MN and was monitored by Deputy Inspector General of Police Rahul Prakash. “Around 500 trucks transport high-quality coal imported from the US and Russia from Gujarat port to different states via Rajasthan daily. One truck carries coal worth Rs 10 lakh and the accused were stealing 20 per cent coal worth Rs 2 lakh from each truck,” ADG Dinesh MN said.
He said to maintain weight, the stolen coal was replaced with poor-quality coal and the trucks were diverted to illegal coal depots where the mixing was done. The officer said the owners of transportation companies had met him and shared the information about the theft following which, a recce was done and action was taken. "We have detained a few persons, including drivers and cleaners, and they are being questioned," he said.
