Five persons were arrested and four dumpers impounded for transporting illegally mined iron ore in Odisha's Sundargarh district near here, police said today.
The iron ore, worth over Rs two lakh, had been sourced from a Jharan mine at Joda which was shut down after Odisha government imposed ban on mining operations, SDPO Bonai R Panigrahi, who personally supervised the seizure, said.
The police received information that four dumpers were carrying illegally mined ores from iron producing Joda city in Kendujhar district of the state.
The consignment and the vehicles were intercepted near Chandiposh and five persons were arrested, the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) said.
The smuggled consignment was being taken to Rourkela and the drivers were instructed to stop near Vedvyas where one person would contact them and guide to the final destination, he added.
