How Did Rajasthan Police Bust a Major Coal Adulteration Racket?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- The Rajasthan Police’s CID Crime Branch has successfully dismantled a major coal adulteration racket.
- Fake coal dust was mixed with imported high-quality petcoke, harming key industries.
- The gang operated from a rented factory and offered bribes to truck drivers.
- Authorities seized equipment and apprehended one suspect during the raid.
- Ongoing vigilance is essential to combat such fraudulent schemes.
Jaipur, July 19 (NationPress) In a remarkable turn of events, the CID Crime Branch of the Rajasthan Police has successfully dismantled a large-scale coal adulteration scheme in Sirohi, uncovering a fraud operation valued at several crores of rupees.
The illicit group was caught red-handed mixing fake coal dust into high-grade petcoke imported from the US, leading to considerable financial detriment for the cement and steel sectors.
According to Additional Director General of Police (Crime) Dinesh M.N., the group was part of a sophisticated network functioning from a rented, defunct factory located behind Tulsi Hotel along the Pindwara-Abu Road National Highway 27.
Coal mafias, predominantly hailing from Gujarat, enticed truck drivers transporting imported coal with lucrative bribes ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,000 per ton. They would subsequently offload 5-10 tons of premium petcoke from each truck and substitute it with inferior coal dust. This tampered coal was then distributed to smaller industrial operations, yielding illicit earnings of Rs 1 to Rs 1.5 lakh each day for the ring.
The pilfered premium coal was marketed separately, making this operation exceptionally profitable. Acting on reliable intelligence provided by Head Constable Ramesh Kumar, a coordinated team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Phoolchand Taylor and Inspector Ram Singh, under the oversight of DIG Crime Yogesh Yadav and Additional SP Narottam Verma, executed a raid on Friday at the specified site in Bhujela.
Authorities confiscated two trucks, a loader, a dozer, and specialized equipment used for manipulating truck seals. One suspect, Irfan (32), son of Haroon, from Madina Society, Lajpat Nagar, Radhanpur, Gujarat, was apprehended at the scene.
During questioning, Irfan admitted to purchasing coal from truck drivers and replacing it with counterfeit materials, managing to divert 15 to 20 tons daily.
This operation generated over Rs 1 lakh in income for the gang every day. The success of this operation was attributed to the diligent efforts of DySP Phoolchand Taylor. The critical tip-off provided by Head Constable Ramesh Kumar was instrumental in exposing the entire scheme, officials stated.