CISF Seizes 32 Tonnes of Coal in Jharkhand, Intensifies Anti-Theft Drive

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has seized a truck carrying around 32 tonnes of coal in Jharkhand's Magadh coalfield area as part of an intensified crackdown on coal theft and pilferage, officials said on Thursday.

The seizure was made near Chamatu More in the Magadh area under Central Coalfields Ltd (CCL) on Wednesday night, according to a CISF statement.

Since its deployment in the Magadh-Amrapali coalfields around a month ago, the force has recovered approximately 800 tonnes of coal through a series of operations involving the seizure of multiple vehicles.

The latest action is part of sustained anti-coal theft operations conducted through intelligence-based raids, surveillance and ambushes across the coalfields. The CISF's deployment aims to strengthen security, curb the illegal removal of coal and support the Union Home Ministry's Zero Coal Leakage Policy.

In one of its recent operations, the force foiled an alleged coal theft attempt in Latehar district earlier this month, seizing five tipper trucks carrying approximately 250 tonnes of coal.

The latest recovery follows several other seizures reported in the state in recent weeks. Last month, the force recovered 207.17 tonnes of coal near a village close to a mine in Bokaro district.

In another operation, CISF personnel seized around 250 tonnes of coal from an isolated location near CCL's Phulbasia Siding in Latehar district.

The successive recoveries highlight the scale of the ongoing enforcement drive in coal-producing areas of Jharkhand, where authorities are seeking to prevent pilferage and strengthen monitoring of coal transportation and storage.

Central Coalfields Ltd, which operates the Magadh-Amrapali coalfields, is a subsidiary of Coal India Ltd. The CISF has stepped up operations in the region following its induction into the coalfields, with intelligence gathering and field surveillance forming key components of the crackdown.

The force said the operations would continue as part of efforts to improve security and prevent coal leakage from mining areas.