The mobile court led by CPA Magistrate Mohammad Munir Chowdhury found that the firm Patenga Real Construction took a lease of 27000 square feet of land along the bank of Karnaphuli river from the CPA for collecting sand.

But the firm occupied an additional 20000 sq-ft (28 kathas) of land for stockpiling the sands and equipments and constructing illegal structures.

In another drive, the court detained three cargo vessels on charge of overloading and risky movement in the bay near Patenga.

The vessels MV Golap-4, MV Tiger of Comilla and MV Mou-1 were sailing without radar and telecommunication equipments while two of them had no permission for sailing in the sea, said the sources.

Meanwhile, Chittagong City Corporation in a drive yesterday bulldozed 15 business establishments including saw-mill, ice-factory and pulse godwons to recover Chaktai canal from encroachers.

Land worth Tk 3 crore was recovered during the drive led by CCC Chief Revenue Officer Syeda Sawar Jahan.