Mangaluru: The Mangaluru rural police and anti-rowdy squad, headed by ACP Mangaluru South Sub Division, raided three places where sand was illegally stored.

The sand was stored on a private land at Valachil, Adyar and Arkula. The police seized 780 tonnes of sand (78 loads) worth Rs 5 lakh.

The police informed the officials of the Department of Mines and Geology on the storage of the sand. The police have started an investigation into the reasons why this large quantity of sand was being stored in the area.

The sand has been handed over to Deputy Director, Mines and Geology for further action.

The raid was carried out on the direction of City Police Commissioner T R Suresh under the supervision of DCP (traffic and crime) Uma Prashanth.