Kasinath Behera, 42, was smuggling iron ore and manganese ore to other parts of the country through a transport firm he had set up, district Superintendent of Police A.K. Singh told reporters.
He is a resident of Joda town in Keonjhar, about 235 km from here. Behera, locally known as Kandra, was booked under the National Security Act in 1995. At least 13 cases were pending against him.
“We have arrested Kandra and Dilip Ghosh, one of his close associates," Singh said adding that this has taken the total number of arrests in ore smuggling cases to 100 during the past three months.Investigations into illegal mining in Orissa by various state and central agencies started after some politicians alleged in July that some mines were operating without licences.