Mangaluru: Six people have been arrested on the charge of illegal sand-mining on the banks of Nethravati river in Belthangady taluk, police sources said.

The arrests were made on Thursday during routine patrolling, the sources said. The accused were using a dredging machine attached to a boat for mining sand and were also found transporting the sand in their vehicles without licence, they said.

Around 20 tonnes of sand, a dredging machine, a hydraulic crane, a towing vehicle, a car and three two-wheelers were seized from them, the sources said.

The total value of the seized items is estimated to be Rs 31.36 lakh, they said adding that a case under relevant sections of IPC has been registered against the accused.