Illegal sand mining along the Ravi riverbed in the Ajnala-Ramdass belt has once again come under intense scrutiny, prompting the police to register multiple cases amid allegations of heavy mechanised excavation. The issue took a political turn on Friday when former Punjab minister and Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia alleged that the Ravi was being plundered in broad daylight at Malakpur, sharing photographic evidence of Poclain machines being used to dig up sand.Vishavpal Goel, XEN, Mining, stated that an FIR was lodged following a recent inspection near the Ravi at Kot Rajada, where villagers previously reported severe damage to the riverbed. Concurrently, police action intensified in the adjoining belt. At Ramdass, officers intercepted two tippers loaded with illegally mined sand near Pandori village, arresting drivers Shama Masih and Angrej Singh while naming two others, Amritpal Singh of Muktsar Sahib and Pavandeep Singh of Tarn Taran, in the case. In a separate incident, the police booked Sukha Singh of Bhindi Saida for carrying out illegal mining and selling sand, seized an unregistered Tata vehicle, and recovered around 200 cubic feet of sand.These latest actions build upon a string of aggressive enforcement drives in the region. During the intervening night of August 16 and 17, the Amritsar drainage-cum-mining division confiscated as many as nine tippers and trucks for illegally transporting minor minerals across the Ajnala border belt.