Patna: The enforcement directorate (ED) is set to confiscate the ill-gotten property of four influential persons, commonly referred to as entry mafia, of Rohtas and Gaya districts in south and central Bihar.

The ED has initiated the process on the recommendation of the Economic Offences Unit of the Bihar police.

Those whose property would be attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act are Saroj Gupta, Manoj Gupta, Chandan Gupta, all residents of Chenari in Rohtas district and Jagan Yadav of Dobhi in Gaya district, respectively.

Initial investigation carried out by the EOU revealed that while Saroj has accumulated disproportionate assets worth Rs 66 lakh, Manoj amassed property worth Rs 81 lakh and Chandan owned unaccounted wealth to the tune of Rs 79 lakh. Jagan, a resident of Dobhi in neighbouring Gaya district has been accused of amassing disproportionate assets worth Rs 55 lakh.

A senior official of the EOU, an anti-corruption wing of the Bihar police, said on Wednesday that the ED has already accepted the proposals. "We send the proposals to the ED as the state police is not empowered to confiscate disproportionate property under Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002," the official clarified.

He said the quantum of disproportionate assets may increase during the investigation.

"These people have earned money through evasion of tax from trucks and other heavy vehicles coming to Bihar from Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh. The vehicles carrying coal, stone chips and iron sheets enter Bihar without paying tax at the toll tax collection centres in connivance with government officials, police and the mafia," he pointed out.

Throwing light on the modus operandi of these gangs, better known as entry mafia, the officer said the members of the gang facilitated the smooth movement of vehicles along the stretch on fixed rates and through the check posts. Once the payment is made, there is no restriction on such illegal carriage.

Dobhi and Amas in Gaya, Chutia in Rohtas and Karamnasa in Kaimur have emerged as the major centres of entry of trucks into Bihar from Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh. "The members of these gangs provide forged documents for vehicle clearance at the check posts. Thus the tax, which should go to the government's coffer, a bulk of it goes to the entry mafia," the police officer said.

Shalin, then deputy inspector-general of Magadh range had submitted a detailed report to the police headquarters on evasion of tax by the entry mafia operating on the Bihar-Jharkhand border. Later, two FIRs were lodged with Dobhi and Amas police stations in Gaya district in May 2015.

Aurangzeb alias Raju Khan, a resident of Chatra in Jharkhand, was stated to be the kingpin of the entry mafia.