A special police team in Tirupattur district arrested nine persons on charges of smuggling sand from Palar river, on Saturday. The police seized three vehicles, including two lorries and seven bullock carts, laden with river sand.
The nine arrested persons include S. Manikandan (25), K. Murugan (36), Mohammed Nazeer (37), Shekith (21), A. Satish (32) and K. Venkatesan (35). They hail from places such as Ambur, Vaniyambadi, Tirupattur town and Jolarpet.
Based on complaints from residents and activists, Albert John, Superintendent of Police (SP) (Tirupattur), formed a 20-member special team comprising three sub-inspectors and 15 constables a week ago to patrol village roads, key intersections and border areas, particularly the Tamil Nadu-Andhra Pradesh border in the district and stand guard against the illegal transport of river sand.
The special team was divided into smaller teams comprising three police personnel each to patrol transit points such as Ambur, Natrampalli, Vaniyambadi and Jolarpet situated between the Palar river and the Chennai-Bengaluru Highway (NH 44).
According to the residents, lorries smuggling sand from the river zip through the village roads to places such as Kuppam and Chittoor (Andhra Pradesh), and Vellore, Katpadi, Anaicut and Arcot towns mostly at night.
Police said instances of river sand smuggling became frequent in the last few weeks after the recent Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids following which sand quarrying from riverbeds in the State came to a halt.
The arrested persons were produced before the local court in Tirupattur and later lodged in the sub-jail in the town. Police said surveillance along the river has been intensified.
