Varanasi, Jul 15 (IANS): Five arms licences of the relatives and henchmen of jailed mafia don and MLA Mukhtar Ansari have been suspended and the arms have been deposited in police stations of Ghazipur district.

ADG Varanasi zone Brij Bhushan said, "During verification of the arms licences, arms and ammunition issued to the relatives and henchmen of Mukhtar, the Ghazipur cops had detected many irregularities after which they sent their report against five of them to district magistrate between July 7 and 9."

On the basis of the report, the district magistrate ordered suspension of the arms licences of Uday Narain Yadav, Riyaz Ansari, Ramanuj Singh Yadav, Afzal Ali Khan and Waliullah Khan, all from Mohammadabad area.

The ADG said that so far 33 arms licences of the people associated with Mukhtar Ansari gang have been suspended and deposited in police stations.

The officials have tightened the noose on the relatives and henchmen of Mukhtar, who is currently lodged in Ropar jail in Punjab.

Illegally acquired land and other properties worth Rs 39.83 crore in Ghazipur district have been freed from the possession of Mukhtar's close associates.

The attack on his economic activities is designed to weaken his empire.

The state government has also taken action to break the monopoly of Mukhtar's henchmen in fish trade in eastern districts including Mau, Varanasi and Jaunpur.

The police have also cracked down on Mukhtar's men involved in extorting money in the name of taxi stands.