Huge quantity of granite seized, three held

MANSEHRA: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Mineral Department on Wednesday seized a huge quantity of granite, which was being smuggled to Punjab.

“We have seized hundreds of tonnes of granite, which was illegally extracted from forests in the Darband and Oghi tehsils, and was being shifted to Punjab through four trucks,” Mineral Inspector Amir Pervez told reporters here.

He said that he along with Inamul Haq, Ahsan Bukhtar, Mohammad Waheed and Mohammad Arshad intercepted four trucks loaded with granite in the Neeltaila area of Oghi. Three accused including Munir Ahmad, Shaukat Waqas and Abdul Sattar were arrested under sections 56 and 86 of the Mineral Act 2017.

“We have initiated a crackdown on the illegal mining of granite, as well as other precious stones and antiquities, across Mansehra and the Hazara division to protect these natural treasures,” Pervez said. He added that the dense forests of Darband, Agroor, and Tanawal were rich in natural resources and were the prime target for smugglers.

Pervez revealed that some local influential people have been harbouring smugglers in transporting precious antiquities from Tanawal, Agroor, and Darband to Punjab and other parts of the country.