Malpe, August 27, 2025: During a routine patrol on August 26, 2025, at 2:30 PM, PSI Anil Kumar D. and his team from Malpe Police Station intercepted a cream-and-yellow Tata 407 goods vehicle (registration KL20C9644) near Citizen Circle, Kodavoor village, Udupi taluk, on Ranapratap Singh Marg. The vehicle, driven by Hamza, was moving suspiciously from Kodavoor Junction towards Citizen Circle. Upon inspection, the police found approximately 1.5 units of sand loaded in the vehicle without any valid permits for transportation.

When questioned, Hamza admitted to lacking documentation for the sand, which was allegedly illegally mined from an undisclosed location. The police seized the sand (estimated value ₹5,000) and the vehicle (estimated value ₹2,00,000) in the presence of witnesses through a mahazar (panchnama). A case was registered at Malpe Police Station under Crime No. 93/2025, invoking Section 303(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023 for theft, and Sections 4, 4(A), and 21 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, which address illegal mining and transportation, carrying penalties of up to seven years imprisonment and fines.