While the nation is under a lockdown and police resources are stretched to the maximum, the Sand Mafia got to work. The bold attempt to smuggle over 13000 tonnes of sand was foiled by the Tirupati police led by SP A.Ramesh Reddy.
Not far from the Swarnamukhi river, both private and government lands were freely dug up for sand. The boldness of the perpetrators was such that a massive amount of over 13000 tonnes of sand was found dumped at Padipeta Village. The plan was to smuggle it across the borders, most likely to Bangalore, said officials.
Biggest Haul
Alerted to the shady ongoings, Tirupati Urban SP Ramesh Reddy, having verified the details with local officials, supervised the raid himself and seized around 13050 tonnes of sand. Officials remarked that this is probably the biggest haul ever.
Talking to the media, SP Ramesh Reddy said that while the local farmers can use the sand within their farms for personal reasons, fraudsters try to carry out their activities under the guise of farmers. The SP warned that the culprits would be booked under the PD act. Any sand smuggling from the reaches would also be dealt with sternly, he added.
Hard on the criminals, soft on the Public
Busting criminals aside, Tirupati Urban SP Avula Ramesh Reddy had recently earned accolades for his sustained efforts and patience in dealing with the public during the ongoing lockdown.
The SP prioritised communication during the ongoing lockdown and was seen touring extensively and discussing the virus-related precautions with the members of the public and shopkeepers.