BHOPAL | Jan 23, 2017: In a major crackdown, Panna district administration seized more than 100 vehicles — trucks and tractors — that were carrying illegally mined sand, on Monday. The administration is also demolishing a temporary but strong bridge illegally constructed by the mafia for crossing Ken river.

Around 1.30 pm on Monday, officials of district administration accompanied by over 100 police personnel surprised the mafia at half-a-dozen villages where illegal sand mining was taking place. The villages are situated on the borders of Panna, Chattarpur districts of Madhya Pradesh and Banda district of Uttar Pradesh.

An illegal bridge — about 50 metres in length — was also found constructed on a shallow part of Ken river to facilitate the transportation of illegally mined sand. It was made up of iron pipes, clay and wooden logs. The strength of the bridge could be gauged from the fact that heavy trucks were plying on it.

"The mafia was using the illegal bridge located between Panna and Chhatarpur to transport overloaded trucks. It is being destroyed," said Panna district collector JP Irene Cynthia.

Panna's superintendent of police Riaz Iqbal said, "112 vehicles, majority of them being overloaded trucks, were seized during the operation, which was continuing till late at night."

The mafia from Banda district of Uttar Pradesh operates on a large scale in MP villages where the sand mines are located. "Mining is completely banned in Uttar Pradesh. We have already informed the district collector of Banda about the operation," the collector said.

The mafia in UP charges Rs 6,000 from these trucks to let them cross MP border for loading and then returning for onward journey to UP cities — as far as up to Lucknow, police sources said. Every day, hundreds of trucks cross the border.

The sources said that many drivers ran away after the trucks were seized while some sped away with their vehicles.

(Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/)