Police crack whip on sand mafia across Mahbubnagar

Mahbubnagar: Police officials across the erstwhile Mahbubnagar district cracked whip on sand mafia and seized several tractors, tippers and sand trucks that has been transporting sand illegally.

Going into details, Task Force police of Maddur mandal of Narayanpet constituency, on Wednesday intercepted one tipper and three tractors while transporting sand from Peddapur rivulet of Maddur mandal.

It's learnt that sand mafia is becoming active in the night and resorting to illegal sand mining from rivers and rivulets located at secluded places in the region. According to local sources, it is understood that sand tractors,

tippers and even trucks are

becoming active after 12 am and carrying out illegal sand mining in villages, causing huge loss to the government exchequer.

It was alleged that in some areas police were hand in glove with sand mafia and allowing only those people, who pays them the monthly 'mamools'. 'At the same time, they are tough with those, who didn't pay them.'

A local youth leader on anonymity from Nawabpet mandal in the district said that the government's online sand booking system was completely failed. 'Common man cannot book sand online as the system has become completely corrupt and were forced to approach middlemen to buy sand in black. This is giving a chance for sand mafia to go on illegal sand mining. Police, who are claiming to have booked cases, is just a publicity stunt, while illegal sand business is going on unabated with the help of police and revenue officials,' he pointed out.

It is learnt that recently Nawabpet Sub-Inspector also seized a sand tipper, which was transporting filter sand from Lokirevu village. But there were allegations that the SI was targeting only those trucks and tippers, which have not paid the monthly bribe.