100 tonnes of Manganese seized during raid in Odisha, two arrested

The Forest Department on Friday carried out a major crackdown on illegal mineral processing in Keonjhar district by raiding an unauthorised manganese processing unit operating near Kashia village under the Barbil Range.

100 tonnes of illegally processed manganese, along with heavy machinery and vehicles used in the operation were seized during the raid. Two persons have been arrested in connection with the case.

Illegal Processing Unit

According to sources, the illegal processing unit, operating under the name Nabajyoti, was functioning without any valid permission or clearance from the concerned authorities. The unit was allegedly being run by Nirmal Nayak, a resident of the Joda area. Acting on specific intelligence inputs, a Forest Department team conducted the raid and found large quantities of manganese stockpiled at the site.

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Forest officials seized processing machines, tools, and vehicles that were being used to transport and process the mineral illegally. During the operation, Nirmal Nayak and his associate, MD Rafiq, a resident of the Roida area, were taken into custody. Both the accused have been arrested and further investigation is underway.

Manganese Worth Rs 15L

Officials estimated that the value of the seized manganese is approximately Rs 15 lakh. The Forest Department suspects the involvement of a larger network behind the illegal mining and processing activities.

Efforts are being made to identify and trace other individuals who may have links to this illegal trade.