Malappuram: Nilambur police arrested seven individuals, including a college student, for smuggling sand through a road in front of the police station and posting a video of the act on Instagram.
The cops also released another video showing the arrest of the accused and the seizure of the truck involved.

The arrested are, Mambad Odaayikkal Mattath Shamil Shan (21), Kattumunda Valiyathodika Marvan (20), Pulikkal Ameen (19), Vadappuram Chekarattil Althaf (22), Chekarattil Muhammad Sawad (22), Kannamthodika Abdul Majeed (34) and Karimadathil Saheer (23). They were booked by a team led by Inspector Manoj Parayatta. The truck is co-owned by Shamil Shan, Althaf, and Majeed. Marvan was the driver, while Sawad, Majeed, and Saheer kept watch on the police during the smuggling.

Ameen, a college student, filmed the gang transporting sand from Pullippadam to Mayyamthani, on the night of July 24, and posted the video on his Instagram profile as a reel. However, he later removed it after the footage went viral and sparked controversy.

Acting on newspaper reports and under the direction of the District Police Chief, the Nilambur police registered a case and apprehended all the accused within 24 hours. They also seized the truck, parked at a remote area in Kodathyppadi.

Police said that Shamil and Althaf, who are already implicated in previous sand smuggling cases, had planned to go abroad soon. They posted the video, believing they would evade capture if they left the country.

The arrested individuals have been presented before the court. The police team involved in the operation included Sub Inspectors Thomaskutty Joseph, T Mujeeb, K Ratheesh, EN Sudheer, Noushad Shifin Kuppanath, Aneeta Joseph, Sajeesh, T Prince, Vivek, Shoukath, and Subairudheen.