Pulwama, Jul 6, KNT: In a major crackdown on illegal mining, the Geology and Mining Department in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district apprehended a notorious clay smuggler in the Chakoora area during a late-night raid on Sunday.
The operation was led by District Mineral Officer (DMO) Dr Khurshid who confirmed the action through an official post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), alongside GPS-tagged images from the site.
According to the DMO, the offender, identified as Showkat Ahmad alias Show Chakoora, has been a habitual violator, long involved in illegal clay extraction activities, and has devastated the entire Karewa catchment in the region.
“He had managed to evade seizure for years by creating escape routes,” Dr Khurshid said. “But this time, we caught him red-handed.”
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A JCB machine used in the illegal extraction was seized, and a penalty of Rs 15 lakh was imposed on the offender under the relevant provisions of the law.
Despite his team being engaged in night raids at other locations, the DMO said he managed this particular operation single-handedly, with valuable support from DSP Lassipora, Muhammad Yousuf. [KNT]
