Goa, July 31 -- An undercover investigation byO Heraldohas exposed a well-organised illegal sand import racket operating across the Goa-Karnataka border, with the Polem check post emerging as a key point of passage. Bribes are allegedly being paid to police and excise officials to allow sand-laden trucks to enter Goa without checks, in blatant violation of legal and environmental directives.

The investigation traced the illegal trade from sand extraction points at Hotegali and Asnoti in Karnataka. Trucks - including many bearing Goa registration plates - were seen being loaded with sand and heading directly toward the Polem border. Despite a ban on sand import from neighbouring states, not a single truck was stopped or inspected by autho...