Now, River Sand Smuggled on Bike

By J Shanmugha Sundaram

Published: 24th October 2015 06:29 AM

Last Updated: 24th October 2015

VELLORE: In an attempt to make quick bucks, around 20 youngsters of Perumugai and Vasur villages in the district have been resorting to smuggling sand in two-wheelers, for the last three years, it is alleged. This is in addition to sand being stolen using lorries and bullock carts.

Councillors, the panchayat president and local politicians and their relatives were actively involved in this lucrative business. With their support, smugglers carry out smuggling and even threaten  those villagers who oppose their illegal activities, claimed the villagers.

They allege that police and revenue officials too are hand-in-glove with the smugglers.

Lorries, tractors, bullock-carts are passe, sand-smugglers now use two-wheelers for their activities in Vellore district | Express

“None are taking steps against the illegal activity as police and revenue officials are hand-in-glove with the smugglers. Police officials receive bribes from the sand smugglers on a daily -basis,” claimed a villager. He added that they are usually active between 11 pm and 10 am the next day. At times, when the demand is high, sand is smuggled even during the day.

In a single trip, each of them transport five plastic gunny bags of sand (each weighs around 60 kg). They smuggle around three to five tonnes a day. Around 36 bags of sand amount to one unit (100 cubic feet) that is sold for `2,500.

The sand being smuggled to Chennai and Karnataka form their illegal stock yard in the vicinity.

“Each of them will do 15-20 shuttle trips and earn `5,000 to `6000 within a couple of hours,” said another villager and added that the earlier Superintendent of Police P Vijayakumar raided a stone crushing unit near Ponniyamman Koil in Perumugai village and seized nearly 1000 bags of sand stacked on the unit that belonged to a local politician.

Despite the villagers strong objection, the two-wheeler sand smugglers whave been plundering the riverbed along Perumugai and Pillaiyarkuppam villages for the last few years.

“They are also putting the lives of the villagers in grave danger. A couple of months ago, ex-service man Sundaraj was killed after he was knocked down by a speeding sand smuggler two-wheeler. They have also knocked down several persons, including women, while ferrying the sand,” said the villagers.

Tahsildar of Vellore K Vijayan, a native of Perumugai admitted that sand is being smuggled indiscriminately in two-wheelers in Perumugai area.

He said, “We are taking steps with the available manpower to control sand smuggling. We are also planning to take steps against two-wheeler sand smugglers.”

Superintendent of Police P K Senthil Kumari said that action would be taken against sand smugglers.