As a part of a crackdown on illegal mining and transportation of coal in Meghalaya, police officials have seized over 17,000 metric tonnes of coal and 25.5 kg of explosive material in East Jaintia Hills district.
Police operations and stringent actions against unlawful mining activities are being actively carried out in the State, following a blast at a coal mine site in the Thangsku area that left 34 people dead and several injured on February 5.
East Jaintia Hills SP Police Pankaj Kumar Rasgania said the district police conducted the raid during the night of February 20-21 and illegally mined coal and explosive material were seized from abandoned mines.
However, no arrests were made during this operation.
Meanwhile, Rasgania said 94 FIRs have been registered and 22 people have been held so far since the February 5 incident.
The state government has also set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident. Retired High Court judge, Justice RS Chauhan, was appointed the head of the three-member judicial panel to probe the Thangsku coal mine blast incident.
Officials informed that enforcement drives will continue in vulnerable pockets of East Jaintia Hills, and stringent action will be taken against individuals involved in the extraction, storage, and transportation of coal procured illegally.