Udupi: 7 tippers, tonnes of sand seized in week-long illegal mining crackdown

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, Aug 13, 2025: Despite a ban, illegal sand mining continues unchecked in Udupi district, with police seizing multiple vehicles over the past week.

On August 11, Brahmavar police intercepted a tipper transporting about 1.5 units of sand from Yadtadi to Heradi without valid documents or permits. The sand, worth around Rs 8,000, had been illegally extracted from a river without paying royalty to the government.

In another incident near the ISF Factory at Kukkude, a tipper carrying about 0.75 units of sand sped away when signalled to stop. The driver abandoned the vehicle and fled. The sand, transported without paperwork, was seized, and both cases were registered at Brahmavar police station.

Earlier, on August 5, acting on a tip-off, police raided the Panchagangavali stream in Kasaba village and found 80 plastic bags of sand, worth Rs 4,000, being loaded into two vehicles. Kundapur police arrested two accused and registered a case.

In Kulanje village’s Bakude area, on the night of August 9, three tippers loaded with nine units of sand, worth Rs 45,000, were found to have been illegally mined from the Shedimane stream. The vehicles, worth Rs 18 lakh, were seized. Shankaranarayana police registered a case, and one accused, Charan Hegde, was arrested on August 11 at Tarekatte in Belve village.

According to SP Hariram Shankar, most illegal sand mining occurs at night, with perpetrators often using small vehicles and fish transport trucks to evade detection. Many use old trucks without documents, assuming seizure will not lead to serious consequences.