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Sunday, Jan 06, 2008
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Crackdown on illegal sand-mining

Special Correspondent

446 vehicles seized in raids conducted at 948 centres in the State

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Revenue and police officials launched an extensive crackdown on the ‘sand mining mafia’ all over the State on Saturday.

The raids were conducted on a directive by Revenue Minister K.P. Rajendran late Friday night. The raids were conducted simultaneously at 948 centres in the State. The revenue authorities seized 446 vehicles including nine excavators, four bulldozers, two jet pumps and 48 country boats used for mining and transporting sand from rivers. As much as 421 truckloads of sand was seized and auctioned by the raiding parties and this yielded Rs.10,68,848. As many as 483 cases were registered.

The raids were conducted meticulously. The Minister gave the directive to the District Collectors over the phone.

Sand worth Rs.4.5 lakh was auctioned in Thiruvananthapuram. As many as 134 cases were registered against those involved in illegal mining and transportation. The officials seized 74 lorries, six country boats and three excavators in the capital.

Explosives seized

The revenue authorities led by Kollam Collector A.Shajahan held raids in different parts of the district. Thirty-one lorries, two unlicensed jack hammers and a cache of explosives used in quarries were seized from Elamad. Five areas were raided in Kollam taluk, three at Karunagapally and two each at Kottarakara and Kunnathur and one at Pathanapuram.

A lorry driver was arrested and 46 lorries and 14 boats were seized in Alappuzha. As many as 60 cases were registered. District Collector V.K. Balakrishnan said 27 vehicles and 14 boats were released after imposing penalty. A sum of Rs.2.25 lakh was levied as penalty.

In Pathanamthitta district, the raids began at Friday midnight and continued till Saturday afternoon. The officials arrested a lorry driver and seized two lorries, six country boats and 40 loads of sand.

The revenue authorities conducted 180 raids in Kozhikode district. The government will continue the raids and go ahead with cases registered against the vehicles, the revenue authorities said.

As much as 120 loads of sand was seized in Ernakulam district. Raids were conducted in the seven taluks of the district. Forty-eight lorries, 10 earth-moving equipment including bulldozers and 15 country boats were seized. No arrests were made.

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