J&K Police Crack Down on Illegal Mining: Major Enforcement Drives Launched in Pulwama and Baramulla

SRINAGAR, JULY 15, 2026: In a massive, multi-department offensive against environmental degradation, the Jammu and Kashmir Police have significantly tightened their grip on illegal mining operations across the Pulwama and Baramulla districts. Executed in close coordination with the Geology & Mining Department and the Flood Control Department, the sweeping enforcement drives resulted in the seizure of multiple heavy vehicles, riverboats, and heavy extraction machinery. Alongside the asset seizures, authorities dismantled illegal infrastructure used by miners and formally registered an FIR under the newly enacted Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), signaling a zero-tolerance approach to the unauthorized extraction of natural resources.

In Pulwama, the crackdown manifested as a series of targeted, joint operations that intercepted illegal mineral transport in real-time. At a joint checkpoint established by the Newa Police Post and the Geology & Mining Department at Wanpora, officers intercepted a tipper truck ($JK13B-5772$) loaded with illicitly mined sand. When the driver failed to produce valid transit permits, the vehicle was immediately seized and fined on the spot under applicable mining laws. A similar joint operation by the Litter Police Station at Yader led to the confiscation and fine of a dumper ($JK03H-2704$) caught transporting illegally excavated soil. Furthermore, in an effort to disrupt the supply chain permanently, the Kakapora Police and mining officials demolished several unauthorized access ramps built along the banks of the River Jhelum at Lelhar, which were being used to move heavy machinery into the riverbed. This specific operation culminated in the registration of FIR No. 56/2026 at the Kakapora Police Station under Sections 303(2) and 324 of the BNS against the operators of two tractors ($JK16-3826$ and $JK05B-6370$).

Simultaneously, a large-scale amphibious enforcement drive was unleashed in Baramulla to secure the vital embankments of the River Jhelum. Centered around the strategic Jetty–Jhuhama–Chakloo belt, the high-profile operation was spearheaded by the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) Headquarters Baramulla, alongside the local SHO and the Delina District Officer, working in tandem with the Flood Control Department. The specialized raid specifically targeted syndicates extracting sand directly from the riverbed, which severely threatens local flood safety structures. The operation yielded significant results, with police seizing 10 boats, 4 water pumps, 2 industrial dredgers, and a specialized boat pusher used to navigate the heavily loaded vessels. All confiscated equipment was moved into police custody as formal legal proceedings were initiated against the violators. Following the twin-district operations, police authorities reiterated their long-term commitment to environmental preservation, warning that these coordinated, aggressive drives will continue indefinitely to protect the region’s ecology.