Baghmara, Oct. 27: The coal mafia has found an innovative way to smuggle the mineral to Bangladesh, using the river route in Meghalaya’s South Garo Hills.

The Simsang river, the longest in Garo hills, has become a “preferred passage” for smugglers during the night.

In October, over 50 tonnes of coal were seized.

In April this year, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) imposed a ban on mining and transportation of coal. This has forced unscrupulous traders to explore new ways to illegally transport the coal to neighbouring Bangladesh.

The mafia, which was exploring a new method by tying bags of coal beneath bamboo rafts, has been intercepted by the BSF.

In the last three weeks, the BSF personnel deployed at Baghmara seized several consignments of timber, bamboo and coal from the river.

The BSF said it has a mandate to check transborder crimes, including transportation along the border route.

“The challenge is in the hinterland from where the trees are illegally cut down and the coal is extracted,” an official said.

The BSF officials shared figures of seizure with this correspondent (see chart).

The latest seizure of coal was made by the BSF in Baghmara today, the district headquarters of South Garo Hills.

The deputy commissioner in-charge of South Garo Hills, T.G. Momin, said, “The river route for any export is not legal so far in the state. They (the BSF) have the mandate to guard the border. We do request them to intercept illegal transportation of forest produce and other natural resources.”

A visit to Baghmara, the district headquarters of South Garo Hills, revealed that the river route is being used to illegally transport timber and other natural resources, including coal and bamboo. There are reports that illegal timber smuggling is on the rise in the five districts of Garo hills.

Smugglers cut down huge logs from the thick forests in South Garo Hills and use the river route to transport these to Bangladesh.

The BSF has been confiscating huge consignments of timber.

“The challenge is in the hinterland from where the trees are illegally cut down and coal is extracted,” an official said.

An independent investigation revealed that the forest and administration officials were not employing adequate efforts in checking the illegal felling of trees in different areas of South Garo Hills. Sources blamed a paucity of staff for this.

BSF officials at Baghmara told The Telegraph: “We have intercepted nearly seven such consignments in October.”

The smugglers use huge bamboo rafts, beneath which bags of coal are tied up. “Usually one person takes the consignments to the other side of the border,” a BSF official said.

On why no arrests have been made, the official said, “Whenever, we spot them from the riverbank, our boys rush there in speedboats. By the time they reach, the locals engaged in the trade manage to escape, taking advantage of the terrain across the Simsang.”

The speedboats face problems in shallow water.

An official said, “We inform the department soon after the seizure is made. However, the onus for retrieving the smuggled items is ultimately on us. It could be easily done by engaging workers by the department concerned,” a BSF official said.

Another BSF official said, “As the responsibility of retrieving the seized items falls on the BSF personnel, it becomes a difficult task, as most of them have to do double shifts, guarding the border as well as be a part of the retrieving exercise.”

The state government is believed to be contemplating an impact assessment on climate change and deforestation.