Balangir: Pople of Dunguripalli village under Sadar police limits in Odisha’s Balangir district handed over a truck, carrying smuggled manganese ore, to the police on Saturday.
Acting on a tip-off about the illegal exploration of manganese ore from Bhaludungiri hill near their village, the villagers rushed to the spot and apprehended some people while others managed to flee. The villagers later held up an ore-laden truck and informed forest officials who arrived at the place and seized the truck and arrested the driver.
Interrogation of the driver is underway, the forest officials said.
The villagers told the media that there have been frequent instances of ore smuggling from the hill due to the inaction of the district administration and the police.
