The raid was jointly conducted by the Directorate of Mines and Geology, Goa State Pollution Control Board, Deputy Collector Ponda and Old Goa police.
“Following directives from the Ponda Deputy Collector, the raid was carried out across all points of river. Except for Old Goa, no sand extraction was reported elsewhere in the area,” said a senior mines department official and added that at Old Goa four boats and canoe were found carrying out illegal sand extraction.
The official said one canoe has been seized and eight labourers were arrested. “The others fled with a boat laden with sand,” the official said.
According to Old Goa PI Krishna Sinari, the migrant labourers were handed over to the police by the mines department and accordingly they were arrested under the Mines and Mineral Concession Act. “A case has been registered against the eight labourers and they have been lodged at the Ribandar police outpost,” he added.
