Bhograi: Two mining officials were detained by villagers, including sand mafia, while conducting a raid against illegal sand transportation at Kusuda village under Kamarda police limits in Baleshwar district Monday. The rescued officials were identified as Abinash Behera and Tapas Behera. It is alleged that hundreds of trucks illegally carrying sand are transported daily from the Subarnarekha riverbed through various unauthorised routes to neighbouring West Bengal. Despite repeated raids and fines imposed, illegal sand transportation continues unabated. Smugglers have also resorted to attacks on officials in the past.
On Monday, two junior officials conducted a surprise raid when sand was being loaded onto a Hyva truck at Chhotakhanpur village along the Subarnarekha River near the Bhograi-Baliapal road. However, the driver managed to flee and reached his village, where he unloaded the sand. The officials followed the vehicle and found it near the Mahadev temple in Kusuda village. They were checking the vehicle’s documents when a group of people gathered and detained the two for hours. On being informed, Kamarda police rushed to the spot and rescued the officials.
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