Phansidewa, 22nd May: Despite restrictions on extraction of sand and stones from rivers, illegal mining activities continue unabated. In a recent incident in the Petki area of Phansidewa, police took action against a vehicle transporting illegally extracted sand from the Mahananda River.
During the raid, the driver abandoned the vehicle and fled the spot. Police later seized the sand-laden dumper.
According to police sources, the sand was being illegally extracted from the Mahananda River and was allegedly being transported towards Uttar Dinajpur for smuggling purposes.
A search operation has been launched to trace the driver and the owner of the vehicle.