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The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) is investigating allegations of excessive sand mining in Tamil Nadu and has sought the expertise of scientists from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Indian Institute of Technology- Kanpur (IIT-K) to assist in the investigation, according to official sources.

The ED registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act after allegations arose that a large quantity of sand was illegally excavated and sold to sand lorry owners without proper records, evading taxes. Search operations were conducted at designated sand mining sites in six districts on September 12, 2023, where incriminating documents such as fake receipts and counterfeit QR codes were seized.

To further supplement their investigation, the ED has requested satellite images from ISRO to assess the area and depth of sand mined along riverbeds in the state. Based on the coordinates provided by the ED, ISRO will provide satellite images of the sites over a period of time. The images will be used by experts from IIT-Kanpur to measure the quantum of sand mined.

The scientific investigation carried out by ISRO and IIT-Kanpur will assist the ED in determining the amount of sand mined illegally and the corresponding loss to the exchequer.

In addition to the ongoing probe, a top official in the Water Resources Department, Engineer-in-Chief and Chief Engineer General A. Muthiaya, who was actively seeking information on illegal sand mining, has taken leave. Another official has been assigned temporary charge in their absence.

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