Tamil Nadu - Chennai   

Sand mining: police zeroing in on kingpins

— Photo: R.M. Rajarathinam

When business boomed:Traffic jams were a common sight on the Musiri - Tiruchi highway with the sand quarries deploying a large number of trucks before the recent crackdown.

CHENNAI: After the intensive drive against illegal sand mining, which resulted in the arrest of 1,500 persons and seizure of over 1,000 vehicles across the State, the police are now closing in on the kingpins of the racket.

According to police sources, the crackdown on illegal sand mining in 400-odd places, mostly in Karur, Tiruchi, Thanjavur and Tirunelveli districts, exposed a well organised network that indulged in the offence over the years causing a huge revenue loss.

While curbing the menace and maintaining a vigil in the vulnerable areas, investigators are trying to unearth the modus operandi and identify the kingpins.

“Prima facie it appears that some bigwigs and traders are involved. We cannot rule out the possibility of officials conniving with the accused persons….despite public agitations against illegal sand mining, some officials facilitated the crime by simply not taking any action. More than 1,425 cases have been registered so far and more arrests are likely,” a senior police officer said on Saturday.

The curbing of illegal sand mining led to a sudden increase in the price of sand owing to shortfall in supply. “The Public Works Department chipped in to regulate certain aspects and the price of sand has been restored,” he said.

Since there is acute demand for sand in Kerala and the price (per unit) is almost double there, some gangs smuggled the sand regularly to that State via Kanyakumari, Theni and Coimbatore district borders.

“We have also intensified vigil across inter-State borders. Besides lorries, the accused also used tractors and bullock carts for smuggling sand. The police also raided and seized sand from storage points,” the officer added.

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