The geology and mining department has lodged a First Information Report (FIR) at the Kharsang police station against a person identified as Balin Moran for alleged involvement in illegal coal mining and transportation of illegally sourced coal. The department has accused him of theft of mineral resources belonging to the state, evasion of government royalties, and participation in a wider network involved in the illegal coal supply chain.Officials said the FIR was filed on Friday by a technical officer of the department, seeking a detailed criminal investigation into the origin and movement of the coal consignments. The complaint also invokes relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges related to theft of coal, misappropriation of natural resources, criminal conspiracy to bypass mineral regulations, and alleged attempts to legitimise illegally mined coal by using Goods and Services Tax (GST) documentation in a misleading manner.A senior police officer from Changlang district confirmed that the case has been formally registered and that the investigation process has begun.
Police authorities are now examining documents, transport records, and other evidence to identify the source of the coal and determine whether more individuals or entities were involved in the alleged illegal operation. According to the department’s complaint, the matter came to light after an enforcement drive conducted on November 19, 2025, by the anti-evasion team of the Assistant Commissioner of Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) and Central Excise (CX), Itanagar. During the drive, 36 vehicles loaded with coal were intercepted in the Kharsang area of Changlang district. The vehicles were detained under Section 129 of the CGST Act, 2017, which deals with detention and seizure of goods in transit where tax-related irregularities are suspected. During the enforcement proceedings, Balin Moran, who is stated to be a resident of Waisali in Namsai district, reportedly claimed ownership of the detained coal consignments. He subsequently paid the required penalties under the CGST provisions to secure the release of the vehicles. However, tax-related settlement did not conclude the matter, as the authorities later initiated further verification regarding the legal status and origin of the coal being transported.
Officials said that after the GST proceedings, the Office of the Commissioner, CGST & CX, Itanagar, transferred the case to the state geology and mining department for further examination. The department was asked to verify whether the coal had been mined legally and whether the required mining permits and transit passes had been issued for the consignments. Following preliminary inquiries, the state department reportedly found that no valid mining permits or authorised transit passes had been issued for coal extraction or transportation in the Kharsang region during the relevant period. Based on these findings, officials suspect that the coal transported in the 36 vehicles may have been sourced through unauthorised mining activities. In the FIR, the department stated that the absence of valid permits and transport documents indicates that the consignments were likely obtained through illegal mining operations, resulting in significant loss of revenue to the state exchequer. The department also alleged that the supply chain involved may extend beyond the transportation stage, requiring a wider investigation to identify the mining locations, extraction networks, and distribution channels connected to the coal.
