FIR against Port Conservators

Five lakh tonnes of illegal iron ore worth about Rs 150 crore was seized at Belekeri port in Ankola while nearly 50,000 tonnes ore worth Rs 15 crore was seized at Karwar port during the simultaneous raids by Department, recently.

Belekeri Port Conservator Mahesh Biley and Captain C Swami of Karwar port have been named accused in the FIR filed by the Forest department. Both have been booked under the provisions of Karnataka Forest Act, 1963 and Karnataka Forest Rules, 1969.

"There were no papers (passes/permits) for the ore which had landed at the ports. Though it is a known fact from where the material (iron ore) had come and where it was headed to, we need to investigate to reach the root of the business,” a senior officer told Deccan Herald. He said the probe if proceeds without any hindrance could open Pandora’s Box.