Justdroppedin
12-06-2024, 12:51 PM
Sand Is in Such High Demand, People Are Stealing Tons of It
As strange as it may sound,sand is one of the world's hottest commodities. The global construction boom has created an insatiable appetite for sand, the chief ingredient for making concrete. The problem is that sand isn't as abundant as it used to be. And when high demand and high value meets scarcity, you open the doors to smuggling.
In India, illegal sand mining is the country's largest organized criminal activity. In inland villages, armed sand mafias steal land in order to strip its topsoil and extract the layers of valuable sand beneath. Along the coasts, pirate dredging vessels siphon sand from the seafloor in broad daylight with bribed officials turning a blind eye.
The pilfered sand fetches a good price on the black market, where its sold to construction companies building highrises in megacities like Mumbai.
https://media.hswstatic.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJjb250ZW50Lmhzd3N0YXRpYy5jb20iLCJrZX kiOiJnaWZcL25vdy0xYzIzODYxMS01NTM5LTRlYzYtYTg4My0z MWZiOGY4MGQxZjItMTIxMC02ODAuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicm VzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo4Mjh9fX0=
As strange as it may sound,sand is one of the world's hottest commodities. The global construction boom has created an insatiable appetite for sand, the chief ingredient for making concrete. The problem is that sand isn't as abundant as it used to be. And when high demand and high value meets scarcity, you open the doors to smuggling.
In India, illegal sand mining is the country's largest organized criminal activity. In inland villages, armed sand mafias steal land in order to strip its topsoil and extract the layers of valuable sand beneath. Along the coasts, pirate dredging vessels siphon sand from the seafloor in broad daylight with bribed officials turning a blind eye.
The pilfered sand fetches a good price on the black market, where its sold to construction companies building highrises in megacities like Mumbai.
https://media.hswstatic.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJjb250ZW50Lmhzd3N0YXRpYy5jb20iLCJrZX kiOiJnaWZcL25vdy0xYzIzODYxMS01NTM5LTRlYzYtYTg4My0z MWZiOGY4MGQxZjItMTIxMC02ODAuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicm VzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo4Mjh9fX0=