PATNA | Aug 02, 2017: Altogether 191 persons have been arrested and 387 vehicles seized as the three-day police operation against sand mining mafia in Patna, Jehanabad, Bhojpur, Vaishali, Saran, Nalanda and Bhagalpur districts concluded on Tuesday.

The operation was launched on Sunday after the expansion of the Nitish Kumar-led NDA cabinet to tighten the screws on sand mining mafia in state as police sources said the illegal money generated through it was being used for political purposes.

DGP P K Thakur had ordered all zonal IGs, range DIGs, SSPs and SPs to check illegal mining on river banks under their respective jurisdictions.

ADG (HQ) S K Singhal said the districts police had been ordered to give top priority to the cases lodged against illegal sand mining and arrest the main suspects in the crime.

According to the statewide data received from the police headquarters, two trucks and six tractors were seized in Bhagalpur while 12 persons were arrested and 13 trucks and two tractors seized in Saran district.

In Nalanda, two persons were held and five trucks and 10 tractors were seized while 10 boats were seized and 13 persons were arrested in Vaishali district.

Altogether 96 persons were arrested across the state, including 59 in Bhojpur district, on the first day of the operation.

Patna zonal IG Naiyyar Hasnain Khan said all illegal mining operations have stopped for now and police investigations were on to nab those who were operating from behind the scene.

City SP (Patna west) Ravindra Kumar said departmental proceedings would be initiated against Ramakant Tiwary, the suspended Bihta police station SHO, for his connivance in the illegal sand mining in the area. He also said more names would be added to the two FIRs lodged with the Bihta police station on Sunday and Monday respectively.

(Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/)