Meghalaya: Businessman linked to coal trade detained outside secretariat
Shillong police detained a businessman linked to the coal trade right outside the Meghalaya Secretariat on Friday.
The scene turned heads—a convoy of three cars (including a red Audi without number plates), 12 men believed to be bodyguards, and weapons that looked like assault rifles.
The businessman, Mebanshem Snaitang, and his team were detained.
Snaitang's group may have ties to illegal activities
Cops are now investigating if Snaitang or his group have ties to illegal activities, especially since coal mining has been banned in Meghalaya since 2014 but still goes on under the radar.
They also seized laptops, walkie-talkies, and Assam number plates from the vehicles—raising more questions about what's really happening behind the scenes.
There are also fresh allegations of a powerful cartel involving traders and politicians keeping illegal coal mining alive despite years of crackdowns.