Keonjhar: Police on Sunday unearthed an organised inter-state mineral ore smuggling racket in the district's mining belts with the arrest of three persons for stealing ore from a private mining company.

The arrested persons have been identified as Gouranga Charan Ghana, 38, Ashok Kumar Sahu, 34, and Amit Kumar Pradhan, 29.

The cops also seized a 10-wheeler carrying 20 tons of smuggled iron ore from Nuagaon village under Rugudi police limits. "The seized ore files are estimated to be worth over Rs 20 lakh," said Rugudi police station inspector-in-charge Srikant Sahu.

Ghana was a weigh-bridge employee while Sahu and Pradhan worked in KJS Ahulwalia Mining Company as staff members. The police said there were several other members of the racket who worked behind the scenes. "We have information on the others and launched a search to nab them," the police officer said.

The district's mineral-rich hinterlands have turned into a haven for rackets that thrive on smuggling iron ores, charge chrome and chromites.

The smuggled charge chrome and iron ore are often dispatched to charge chrome plants in other parts of the state and neighbouring Jharkhand while the chromites are earmarked for export.

The crew of the trucks that transport the smuggled minerals work hand-in-glove with members of the racket. A police officer said: "While those who run the racket mint money, the drivers and crew members get Rs 2,000-3,000 against the unloading of high-grade chrome and iron ore."

The network is deep-rooted and involves everyone from transporters to those who handle the cargo at Paradip port, the officer said.

The smugglers are active at strategic spots along the Paradip-Daitary Expressway, the principal road connecting the mineral-rich hinterland in Keonjhar and Jajpur with Paradip port. There have been allegations that some police officers are often part of these rackets, enabling the smugglers to operate freely.