Brahmapur: Police officials reported on Monday that eleven truck drivers were detained for allegedly participating in illegal sand extraction from the Rushikulya riverbed located in Ganjam district, Odisha.

On Sunday, authorities confiscated all vehicles loaded with sand in the Suramani region, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Belaguntha Police Station, according to a senior police officer.

“Following a tip-off, our team conducted a raid on the riverbed, where we initially apprehended seven truck drivers, while four others managed to escape,” stated Rebati Sabar, the inspector in charge of Belaguntha PS.

Subsequently, the remaining four drivers were also captured, she added.

The detained drivers were unable to provide any authorization for the sand mining activities, nor could they present valid documentation for their vehicles, as per police reports.

According to the inspector, “The ownership details of these commercial vehicles are currently being verified.”

Ganjam Superintendent of Police Harish BC emphasized the department’s dedication to combating illegal mining of minor minerals, including sand, within the district.