The raid was prompted after the beat police officer of Kalthod village reported that a laterite quarry was being run without permission on land owned by the state at Byatiyani, a hamlet within the Byndoor taluk of Udupi district.
Acting on the tip, Sub‑Inspector Sunil Kumar, accompanied by officials from the Department of Mines and Geology, entered the site on Wednesday afternoon and seized two tipper trucks loaded with laterite stones, two power tillers equipped with blades, and two trolley machines used for lifting the stones.
Police officials estimated the value of the confiscated material at roughly ₹16 lakh. The haul was taken into custody for further forensic and inventory verification.
Legal action has been initiated against the alleged quarry operators, identified as Ravindra Poojary and Satish Shetty. Both men are accused of extracting and selling laterite from government property without the requisite licences or environmental clearances.
The incident underscores ongoing concerns about illegal mining in Karnataka’s coastal districts, where unregulated extraction of laterite can cause soil erosion, loss of vegetation and revenue loss for the state. Authorities say the collaboration between police and the Mines and Geology department will continue to monitor and curb such activities.