Arrest of 7 Suspects: Sand Mining Operation Exposed After 19 Years of Illegal Excavation

Police from multiple units conducted a raid on an illegal sand mining operation in Tambon Nam Bo Luang, Hang Dong District, Chiang Mai Province. They arrested 7 suspects, including an 80-year-old landowner, along with workers operating heavy machinery. The suspects were caught excavating sand from the Mae Khan River, causing severe riverbank erosion and damaging local infrastructure. The illegal mining operation had been running for 19 years since 2550 (2007), with the suspects believed to have connections to high-ranking political and government figures. The operation involved using heavy machinery to extract sand, which was then transported without proper covering, causing road damage and environmental pollution. Authorities seized two excavators, three trucks, and documentation of sand transportation routes. The suspects were charged with operating an unauthorized industrial facility and will be prosecuted under the law. Local residents had long complained about the operation but were unable to stop it due to the perceived influence of the mine's operators.