Major illegal mining racket busted in Pulwama; heavy machinery seized

Pulwama, Nov 28: In a swift and coordinated night operation, Pulwama Police busted a major illegal mining racket and seized a large cache of heavy machinery and vehicles from two locations — SIDCO Lassipora and Gund Achan Panjran area of the district.

The teams intercepted and seized 02 LNTs, 05 JCB machines, 09 Dumpers and 02 Tippers on the spot.

A police spokesperson said the vehicles were being used for illegal extraction and transportation of minerals during late-night hours.

Taking cognizance of the violations, FIR No. 99/2025 and FIR No. 100/2025 were registered under Section 303(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 3 of the PPD Act.

The spokesperson added that investigation has been set into motion to trace the entire network involved in the illegal activity.

Pulwama Police reiterated its commitment to zero-tolerance policy against illegal mining and said strict action will be taken against all offenders involved in damaging natural resources.