Nagpur: In one of the biggest crackdowns on illegal sand mining mafia in Bhandara district, police seized 27 vehicles and heavy machines, along with 23 brass of illegally excavated sand, collectively valued at ₹3.5 crore, in a late-night raid at Athali Ghat on Chulband river along the Lakhandur-Chicholi road last week. Three suspected sand smugglers were arrested, while others escaped under the cover of darkness, leaving their vehicles behind.
The three arrested accused were identified as Rahul Parashuramkar (27), resident of Pimpalgaon Kohli in Lakhandur taluka, Lukesh Gaikwad (34), from Gadchiroli district and Hemmat Borkar (31), who is also from Lakhandur. Under SP Hasan’s leadership, the district police seized property worth more than ₹100 crore between August 2024 and Sept 2025, registered 643 cases and named 1,215 accused as part of the crackdown. Acting on a tip-off, SP Bhandara Noorul Hasan directed additional SP Tejas Sarda to lead the operation, with a team working under the Bhandara sub-divisional police officer. The police surrounded the suspected illegal excavation site at night and detained those allegedly involved in extracting and stealing sand from the riverbed. Lakhandur police have registered a case against the accused vehicle owners and drivers for alleged theft and related offences. The police are searching for the absconding suspects and investigating the network behind the operation. The raid assumes significance amid Bhandara police’s sustained campaign against the sand mafia, whose illegal extraction threatens river ecosystems and deprives govt of mining revenue.