Udupi Police Seize Seven Tippers, Tonnes of Sand in Crackdown on Illegal Mining

The Udupi district police have seized seven tippers and several tonnes of different sand in an array of coordinated operations across the district. So far, the police have arrested several accused in several weeks of action against the rampant illegal activities involving sand mining across the Udupi district.

On August 11, Brahmavar police caught a tipper carrying about 1.5 units of sand worth ₹8,000 from Yadtadi to Heradi, violating the carrying permissions accorded to it. The sand was illegally quarried from a river without any royalty being paid to the government. In another such incident that day, a tipper carrying 0.75 units of sand sped away upon being signalled to stop, near the ISF Factory at Kukkude. The driver abandoned the vehicle and fled, with the now impounded sand being part of the vehicle seizure. Both cases were filed under the Brahmavar police station.

Earlier, following a tip-off on August 5, Kundapur police raided a Panchagangavali stream in Kasaba village and found the sand being loaded in two vehicles with 80 plastic bags valued at ₹4,000. They caught two suspects as well.

Shankaranarayana police are after three tippers into the Bakude area of Kulanje village, loaded with nine units of sand worth ₹45,000, with the biggest haul being seized on the night of August 9. The shedimane stream illegally mined such sand. The tippers are valued at ₹18 lakh, with the one caught dead to rights on the charge on August 11 at Tarekate in Belve village being identified as a Charan Hegde.

SP Hariram Shankar has stated that illegal sand mining in the district takes place mostly at night, and the criminals have very small vehicles or even fish transport trucks to escape detection. Most own old trucks, which they operate without documents, assuming that the seizure results in minimal legal repercussions.

Police have booked three cases in the last week, with several vehicles and more than a tonne of sand seized against the accused. The officials stated that the action would continue while placing more emphasis on patrolling the site at night, along with surprise raids in hotspot areas.

These seizures are the result of efforts to impose the state-wide ban on sand mining with the supposed aim of minimizing environmental damage as well as reducing revenue loss to the government. The authorities have also insisted on public involvement in reporting illegal activities, saying that contraveners would find the law coming down on their heads.