Police seized a lorry, tractor and an earthmover which were used for illicit sand quarrying, and arrested three persons during two surprise raids conducted in the district on Monday night.
The police said Munneerpallam Inspector of Police Chandrasekar and his team conducted a check in Pachaiyar river at Desamanickam on Monday night following information about illicit mining. As the police saw the illicit miners loading river sand on to a tipper lorry with the help of an earthmover, they arrested Jesubalan (33) and Sahayaraj (32), both from Moontradaippu, and seized the sand-laden lorry and the earthmover.
However, their associates, including one Vellapandi from Moontradaippu, escaped. In a raid at Devipattinam, police arrested tractor driver Kadalmani when he was loading sand mined from a rivulet on to the tractor trailer along with a few labourers. The tractor was seized and a hunt is on to nab others.
