Security forces seize illegal mining equipment and timber, arrest three near Assam-Bhutan border

Border security forces intercepted two separate illegal resource extraction operations in Assam's Indo-Bhutan frontier on October 24, detaining three suspects and confiscating heavy vehicles loaded with stones and timber.

The 6th Battalion of Sashastra Seema Bal conducted a patrol in Shantipur, approximately 14 kilometres inside Indian territory from the Dadgiri border pillar, following intelligence inputs.

Personnel apprehended two dumpers carrying illegally mined stones along with their operators. The vehicles and the accused were handed over to the Runikhata Forest Department.

Later that day, SSB jawans from the Aie Powali external border outpost acted on separate information and deployed a patrol team in the Aie Powali-II area. The operation led to the interception of a tractor-trolley transporting roughly 150 cubic feet of illegally felled timber. The consignment, vehicle and suspect were transferred to the forest authorities for legal proceedings.

Both operations took place in areas flanking the Indo-Bhutan border in Assam, where illegal mining and timber smuggling have emerged as persistent problems. The remote terrain and limited monitoring infrastructure have historically made these border zones vulnerable to resource theft.

Forest department officials will now proceed with investigations and prosecutions against the detained individuals under relevant provisions of mining and forest conservation laws.