SURAJPUR: A huge amount of cash was seized by the Surajpur Police from coal businesses operating illegally across the district.

As per initial inputs, the Surajpur police received inputs on the illegal activities being run. Acting on the tip-off, SP Ramakrishna raided locations based on the information received.

A team of officers from Surajpur Police station seized more than 100 tonnes of coal worth Rs 11 lakhs.

Illicit trade of coal in the state has been on the rise lately. In connection to the coal levy scam, the ED nearly a month ago raided multiple locations in CG and some other states. Premises linked to bureaucrats, IAS officers, and businessmen were raided.

The investigation relates to “a massive scam in which illegal levy of Rs 25 was being extorted for every tonne of coal transported in Chhattisgarh by a cartel involving senior bureaucrats, businessmen, politicians and middlemen”, the agency has alleged.