Palghar: Police have booked around 100 people and seized 43 trucks for illegal extraction and transportation of sand from the Vaitarna riverbed here in Maharashtra. The action followed a crackdown on members of the sand mafia operating in the district by the rural police on Friday night, police said on Sunday. Raids were carried out in keeping with the orders of courts which have banned extraction of sand from the river using pumps and their transportation, they said.
As part of the crackdown, trucks carrying illegally extracted sand from the Vaitarna river were intercepted by police teams keeping a vigil on the Khanivade-Umbarpada road, the police said. Around 100 people, including truck owners and drivers, were booked under relevant sections of the IPC, the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, the Environment (Protection) Rules and other relevant laws, they said. District superintendent of police Gaurav Singh said 43 trucks laden with sand, one car and a JCB machines were seized during the crackdown.
