Overview
- District police reported a Feb. 20–21 operation that recovered 17,322 metric tonnes of illegally mined coal and 25.5 kg of explosive material from abandoned mines in East Jaintia Hills.
- Twelve trucks carrying illegal coal were intercepted during the sweep, though no arrests were made in that specific action.
- Following the Feb. 5 Thangsku mine blast that left 34 dead, authorities have registered 94 FIRs and detained 22 people linked to illegal extraction, storage, and transport.
- The explosives haul indicates ongoing prohibited rat-hole mining, weakening assertions that recent shipments are merely legacy stockpiles.
- A state-appointed SIT led by Justice R.S. Chauhan is probing the blast, with High Court oversight and continued enforcement planned in vulnerable areas.