Srinagar, Mar 17: The Jammu and Kashmir administration has intensified its crackdown on illegal mining, seizing more than 13,600 vehicles and registering 446 First Information Reports (FIRs) across the Union Territory over the past two years, with Kupwara, Budgam, and Jammu emerging as key hotspots for illicit extraction.
Official data released by the government accessed Kashmir Convener reveals a sharp increase in enforcement actions.
As per the data a total of 6,219 vehicles were seized in the fiscal year 2024-25. The momentum has accelerated in the current fiscal, with 7,473 vehicles already impounded in the first nine months of 2025-26 (up to December 2025), bringing the two-year total to 13,692 vehicles.
While 212 FIRs were lodged in 2024-25, the number has climbed to 234 in the current fiscal up to December, signaling heightened vigilance by enforcement agencies.
A district-wise breakdown of the data points to specific geographical hotspots where illegal mining and transportation are most prevalent.
In the current fiscal year (2025-26), the north Kashmir district of Kupwara has recorded the highest number of vehicle seizures at 859, underscoring intense mining activity in the region. It is followed closely by the border district of Kathua in the Jammu division with 796 seizures, and Baramulla in north Kashmir with 701 seizures.
In terms of criminal cases, the central Kashmir district of Budgam has topped the list with 51 FIRs registered so far in 2025-26. It is followed by Kupwara (46 FIRs) and Baramulla (32 FIRs).
In the previous fiscal (2024-25), the winter capital Jammu district was the primary hotspot, recording the maximum number of vehicle seizures at 880. It was followed by Samba (527) and Budgam (475). Notably, Budgam also led in FIR registrations last year with 48 cases, followed by Ganderbal (44) and Bandipora (30).
Officials attributed the surge in enforcement to intensified anti-mining drives, stricter surveillance of riverbed mining sites, and improved inter-agency coordination aimed at curbing the illegal extraction of minerals.
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