The Dehra police seized a JCB machine and four tipper trucks allegedly involved in unauthorised extraction of minerals from the Beas riverbed during a late-night operation in the Chamukha area of Kangra district. The special enforcement drive was carried out during the intervening night of July 20 and 21 by a police team constituted by the Superintendent of Police, Dehra, Sandeep Dhawal, under the jurisdiction of the Rakkar police station.

During the operation, the police team found one JCB machine and four tipper trucks allegedly being used for illegal mining. The police challaned all five vehicles under the provisions of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act and the Motor Vehicles Act before impounding them.

The operation was conducted under the direct supervision of the SP, Dehra, and the SDPO, Dadasiba.

The SP, Dehra, told The Tribune that the action reflected the district police’s zero-tolerance policy towards illegal mining, which poses a serious threat to river ecosystems and public infrastructure.

He said that similar surprise enforcement drives would continue across vulnerable stretches of the Beas and other riverbeds to curb illegal mining activities and ensure strict compliance with the law.