Patna: Economic Offences Unit (EOU), Bihar, has seized around 1,32,000 cubic feet of illegally stored sand worth about Rs 1.63 crore in Arwal district. The action was carried out on Aug 19 and 20 by the EOU, mining department and local police-administration.The team found a large quantity of illegally stored sand at the secondary storage site of Koriyam sand ghat. It also inspected secondary loading sites of seven sand ghats, including Koriyam, Aslampur, Dullah, Ahiyapur and Sohsa, EOU officials said on Friday.The mining department assisted in physically verifying the stored sand. GIS and drone mapping of the entire area was also carried out.The govt has intensified surveillance against illegal mining and storage during the off-season from June 15 to Oct 15. Officials said sand mafias secretly extract sand from rivers and stock it during this period before selling it illegally, causing revenue loss and violating mining rules.A special team has been formed under EOU ADG Amit Kumar Jain, led by the SP (administration), to conduct raids across districts with the mining department, police and district administration.EOU DIG Manavjit Singh Dhillon said, “After the report of terrestrial data obtained through drone mapping is received, a detailed analysis will be done. If illegal storage, mining or other irregularities are confirmed, further legal and punitive action will be taken against those concerned.”Dhillon said similar checks were being conducted in other districts where clandestine sand hoarding was suspected.
