Karkala: Police have launched a major crackdown on unauthorised stone quarrying and transportation in Karkala and Padubidri, registering three separate cases and seizing heavy machinery, vehicles and illegally mined stone materials.

The operations were carried out between September 10 and 11 following information about suspected illegal quarrying and stone-crushing activities. The raids uncovered unauthorised quarrying, expired licences and alleged illegal extraction of stones from government land.

Illegal quarry uncovered on Kuntadi mud road

In the first operation on September 10, Karkala Rural Police Sub-Inspector Prasanna M.S. reportedly followed a suspicious tipper truck along the Kuntadi mud road. The trail led police to an allegedly illegal quarrying site.

According to the report, two tipper trucks were found being loaded with stones while an excavator was operating at the site. Police investigations reportedly revealed that explosives were being used to extract and crush stones without the required permits.

A case was registered against Harish Shetty, Santosh Shetty and others. Police seized three tipper trucks and one Hitachi excavator in connection with the case.

Stone crusher unit found operating with expired licence

A second raid was conducted on the evening of September 11 following a tip-off from the Karkala Assistant Superintendent of Police.

The operation targeted a stone-crushing unit in Kalya village. Officials reportedly found three excavators, four tippers, including a dumper lorry, along with the crusher unit and around 20 loads of boulders and crushed stones.

Officials from the Department of Mines and Geology reportedly confirmed that the unit’s operating licence had expired several years ago.

A case was subsequently registered against Mohammed Shafi and Ranjith for allegedly operating the unauthorised unit and selling the stone materials.

Police raid crusher near Kanjarkatte

The third operation was carried out by Padubidri police on the night of September 11.

Police Sub-Inspector Shaktivelu E and his team reportedly raided a crusher located along the State highway between Kanjarkatte in Santur village and Belman.

According to police, the accused were allegedly extracting boulders from government land and crushing them for illegal sale.

The operation resulted in the seizure of approximately 40 units of crushed stones, two lorries and a JCB machine. A case was registered at Padubidri Police Station against Prabhakar Shetty and others.

Crackdown targets unauthorised quarrying

The three operations highlight police and mining authorities’ action against unauthorised quarrying, stone crushing and transportation in the region.

The seizures included several heavy vehicles and earthmoving machines, while officials also found concerns related to permits and licensing. The cases are now being investigated by the respective police stations.

Illegal quarrying can raise concerns beyond regulatory violations, including unapproved extraction of natural resources and the use of heavy machinery and explosives without the required permissions. In this case, the authorities have initiated separate proceedings based on the findings of the raids.

Investigation underway

The latest operations involved Karkala Rural Police and Padubidri Police, along with officials from the Department of Mines and Geology.

The accused named in the cases will face investigation into the alleged quarrying, stone-crushing and transportation activities. The seized vehicles, machinery and stone materials are expected to form part of the investigation.

The crackdown comes amid continued efforts by authorities to curb unauthorised mining and protect government and natural resources in the region.