Major crackdown on sand smugglers in Amravati, 10 arrested

Amravati: In a major crackdown on illegal sand mining and transportation, Amravati rural police have seized vehicles including three trucks and one tractor and material worth Rs 84 lakh. The police intercepted illegal sand being brought into Maharashtra from Madhya Pradesh. Cases have been registered at Tiwasa and Shendurjana Ghat police stations.Amravati rural SP Niketan Kadam had issued special instructions to curb illegal businesses in the district. Following this, two separate teams of the Local Crime Branch laid traps in the Tiwasa and Shendurjana Ghat areas on Tuesday night.In the first action within Tiwasa police station limits, a Tata truck carrying five brass of sand was seized. Accused Fulchand Harsule (35, Achalpur) and Nilesh Gudhe (Amravati) were taken into custody. In the second action, a tractor with 1 brass of sand was seized and Abhishek Musale (22, Ashti) and Ajay Lokhande (56, Ashti) were apprehended.Within Shendurjana Ghat police station limits, a tipper transporting 6 brass of sand was intercepted. Arvind Ambadkar (47, Benoda), Krush Badode (21, Warud), and Kishor Belsare (Warud) were taken into custody. In a fourth action, another tipper with 7 brass of sand and two mobile phones was seized. Action was taken against Sheikh Jamir Sheikh Isa (45, Shendurjana Ghat), Altaf Sheikh Bashir (21, Pusla), and Sayyad Asrar alias Bablu (Warud).The operation was carried out under the guidance of SP Kadam and additional SP DL Totewad by LCB PI Kiran Wankhade, assistant PI Amol Mude, SI Nitin Ingole, and their team.