A Goa police special investigation team (SIT) arrested a Gujarat-based trader today, for allegedly smuggling iron ore to China from the state by forging the government's export documents, sources said.
He has been brought to Goa on a transit remand by the SIT, a senior official said here today.
Frost International Ltd's assistant manager (operations) Subroto Barok was picked up from a hotel in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, where he had gone into hiding ever since the illegal mining scam was revealed.
The Goa police SIT which had been investigating the illegal mining scam had found that Barok had exported 1.35 lakh metric tonnes of iron ore from Goa to China, by forging the No Objection certificates of the state's Mines and Geology Department in the year 2010-11.
According to the SIT, the documents were forged in connivance with officials of the Goa Mines and Geology Department, after which the ore was smuggled between March 25, 2010 and January 19, 2011 onboard merchant navy vessel M V Cape Cosmos.
Borok has been accused of representing the company in the 'export' deal and also using power of attorney to sign the documents at the Customs Department and the Ports Department.
During its investigation, the SIT collected various documents to prove the forgery, which were used to smuggle the iron ore outside the country evading royalty, officials said.
The accused had not even registered his company as a trading firm with the Goa Mines and Geology Department, which is mandatory to export ore, officials said.
