Border security forces conducted two successful operations on October 24, intercepting illegal resource extraction activities along Assam’s Indo-Bhutan frontier. The operations led to the detention of three suspects and the confiscation of heavy vehicles loaded with stones and timber.
The 6th Battalion of Sashastra Seema Bal initiated a patrol in Shantipur, which is located around 14 kilometers inside Indian territory from the Dadgiri border pillar, acting on intelligence reports.
During this patrol, personnel apprehended two dumpers that were transporting illegally mined stones, along with their operators. These vehicles and the suspects were subsequently handed over to the Runikhata Forest Department for further action.
Later in the day, SSB jawans from the Aie Powali external border outpost received additional intelligence and deployed a patrol team to the Aie Powali-II area. This operation resulted in the interception of a tractor-trolley carrying approximately 150 cubic feet of illegally felled timber. The consignment, vehicle, and suspect were also turned over to forest authorities for legal proceedings.
Both operations occurred in regions adjacent to the Indo-Bhutan border, where illegal mining and timber smuggling have become ongoing challenges.
The remote terrain and inadequate monitoring capabilities have historically rendered these border areas susceptible to resource-related crimes. Forest department officials are now set to investigate and prosecute the detained individuals under relevant mining and forest conservation laws.
