MAPUSA: In joint raids, nine trucks were detained for illegal transportation of sand, laterite and basalt stones on Sunday morning.

Acting on a tip-off, the surprise raids were conducted by joint mamlatdar Sandeep Gawade along with officer from mines department Sudhir Mandrekar at Camurlim on Sunday early morning but when the raiding team reached Camurlim, no illegal activity was detected. However, the raiding team caught nine trucks at Karaswada and Colvale which were allegedly involved in illegal transportation. During the raid at Colvale, four trucks were seized and at Karaswada five trucks were caught for illegal transportation. Of the nine trucks, seven trucks were loaded with sand and one each with laterite and basalt stones. Seven of the trucks were plying from Pernem to Mapusa and two trucks were plying from Kudal, Maharashtra to Mapusa.

Mines department has handed over five trucks to Mapusa police station and four to Porvorim police.

When contacted, Bardez mamlatdar Laxmikant Kuttikar informed that “we were keeping vigilance on illegal extraction of sand at Camurlim wherein on Saturday I conducted raid and on Sunday again my joint mamlatdar conducted raids but we did not found any illegal sand extraction activity. However, we detained nine trucks for illegal transportation from Colvale and Karaswada.”