A 42-year-old driver was arrested by Natrampalli police near Jolarpet town in Tirupattur for illegal sand mining from the dry river bed of Palar on Saturday.

The police said the arrested person was identified as S. Mariappan, a resident of Tirupattur.

A police team was patrolling Chennai - Bengaluru Highway (NH 48) at Bathalapalli village near Natrampalli when they stopped a tipper lorry. The team checked the lorry and found loads of river sand in it.

Before the police team tried to nab the lorry driver, he fled the spot. The vehicle with sand was seized and a case registered. The police analysed CCTV camera footage on the route to, later, nab the lorry driver. A probe is under way.