Sujanagar police on Saturday in a drive arrested 19 people on charges of illegally lifting sand from the Padma River. Police also seized a trawler at the time.

Officer-in-charge (OC) of Sujanagar police station Badruddoza said they were detained from Hazar Bighar Char in Pabna Sadar Upazila. For a long time a group of men had been illegally dredging sand from the river. The operation was carried out on Saturday afternoon after receiving secret information.

Most of the detainees live in different villages of Pabna sadar upazila.