PATNA: Mines and geology department minister Janak Ram on Friday said the property of people involved in illegal sand mining in the state would be confiscated under the provisions of law.
Talking to media persons in Gopalganj, the minister said the state government has already made provision for confiscating ill-gotten assets of sand smugglers.
“A task force has been set up under joint leadership of DM and SP for the purpose,” he added.
The minister said the process has already started after preparing the list of people involved in causing huge loss to the state exchequer by illegal sand mining from rivers.
According to the minister, FIRs were lodged and vehicles seized during raids on illegal sand ghats in over a dozen districts.
Meanwhile, sources said the economic offences wing of the state police has been assigned the task to confiscate the assets of sand smugglers.
ADGP (EOU) N H Khan had recently sought information about sand smugglers operating in districts like Rohtas, Aurangabad, Bhojpur, Patna, Saran and Gopalganj.
Aurangabad SP Sudhir Kumar Porika said over 60 trucks and 150 tractors engaged in transportation of illegal sand were seized from Barun, Obra and Daudnagar police stations in the district.
In adjoining Rohtas district, altogether 820 vehicles have been seized since January this year.
Rohtas SP Ashish Bharti said two additional police camps have been set up to check illegal mining in the district.