The trucks carrying around 1,350 tonnes of coal were stopped during a special drive of the Dhanbad administration, which started from 11 pm on Sunday and continued till 4.30 am on Monday, they said.
A total of 44 trucks were impounded in Topchachi area on GT Road, and another 10 in Hariharpur area by the district mining task force, an official release said.
All the 54 trucks did not have valid documents for coal transportation, it said.
“The crackdown against illegal mining, storing and transporting coal, sand and minerals would continue in the district,” Dhanbad Deputy Commissioner Barun Ranjan said.
The task force personnel arrested five drivers and one supporting staff, while 48 drivers managed to escape, the release said.
Further investigation is underway.