In a calibrated yet low-decibel enforcement blitz that largely escaped public attention, the East Jaintia Hills district police mounted an aggressive 45-day crackdown on illegal coal mining and its entrenched logistics chain—registering 62 FIRs on illegal extraction, arresting 14 accused, seizing over 15,224.72 metric tonnes of assessed coal and confiscating explosives and vehicles in a sweeping compliance drive triggered in the aftermath of the devastating coal mine blast at Mynsngat that claimed more than 30 lives. The drive was further front-loaded by a sweeping inter-police station reshuffle across four key jurisdictions to reset the enforcement architecture and tighten the district’s intelligence grid in the wake of the tragedy. The administrative shake-up, spanning Lumshnong, Umpleng, Lad Rymbai and Khliehriat police stations, signalled a structural recalibration within the district’s policing matrix aimed at disrupting entrenched networks and reinforcing ground-level accountability.
Between January 1 and February 14, 2026, the district police executed a synchronised enforcement strategy combining statutory action under the BNS, MMDR Act and Explosive Substances Act with intensified field surveillance and targeted interdiction. Official figures show that “Number of FIRs registered related to illegal extraction of coal: 62 (5 cases registered prior to Mynsngat-Thangsko incident)”. In addition, “Number of FIRs registered related to illegal transportation of coal: 5” and “Number of FIRS registered related to seizures of Explosives suspected to be used for illegal mining of coal: 2”.
The arrest matrix spanned multiple police station jurisdictions. In “Khliehriat PS Case No. 11(1)2026 u/s 106(1)/223/303(1)/305(e) BNS R/W Sec 21(1) MMDR Act” at Umthe, two persons—Sahanaj Uddin and Abansan Syrti—were arrested. In “Khliehriat PS Case No. 14(2)2026 u/s 105/118(2)/3(5) BNS R/W Sec 21/21(1) MMDR Act R/W Sec 3 ES Act” at Mynsnga, Thangsko, seven accused—Forme Chyrmang, Shameki War, Process Phawa, Tensing Suchiang, Yoomiki Syih, Ernest Swer and Rangsing Syienlieh @Mithun—were taken into custody. In “Khliehriat PS Case No. 18/2026 u/s 4/5/6 ES Act” at Umpleng, three individuals—Narayan Majumdar, Salim Uddin Choudhury and Safrul Islam Choudhury—were arrested. In “Lumshnong PS Case No. 6(2)2026 u/s 223/303(2)/318(4)/61(2) BNS R/W Sec 21 MMDR Act” at Umkiang, two accused—Rishna Sutnga and Skhemborlang Kshiar—were apprehended.
Seizure data further underscores the scale of the enforcement sweep. “Quantity of coal seized: 15,224.72 MT (assessed coal). Remaining seized coal is yet to be assessed by DMR.” Additionally, “Number of vehicles seized: 5 Nos.”, “Quantity of Explosive Materials Seized: 25.5 Kgs of Gelatin” and “Number of detonators seized: 74 Nos.”
Responsibilities were reasonably fixed on Doloi’s and headmen in areas where illegal mining activities were detected, signalling an effort to widen the accountability net beyond direct operators to traditional local authorities.
