The vigilance wing of state police today initiated investigation into the Uliburu mining scam, estimated to be worth more than Rs 1,800 crore, by raiding five government and private offices at Keonjhar and Bhubanswar. A team of 25 vigilance officers, who reached Keonjhar today, split into three groups to verify different aspect of the scam. Two of the sub-teams examined documents at district forest office and at the office of deputy director of mines (DDM), Joda circle, while another team conducted field verification. The group at the DDM office was trying to find out the document papers that allowed B K Mohanty, the miner, to raise the mineral even after lapse of lease validity in 2003. They also looked for records to ascertain who had issued the transit permit (TP) for transportation of minerals at that time, sources said. One of the three sub-teams also raided the Keonjhar office of Deepak Steel and Power Ltd, whose managing director, Deepak Gupta held the power of attorney to operate Mohanty's mine. A special team of vigilance, meanwhile, raided the Bhubaneswar office of the company to verify the power of attorney document. The team was sent for field level investigation after Chief Minister Naveen Pattnaik ordered a probe into the matter, based on the recommendation of revenue minister, Surya Narayan Patra to this effect. Last week, Keonjhar collector had submitted a report to the minister citing various irregularities in the mine. The state level enforcement squad of the steel and mines department in March this year had submitted a report showing several rule violation at B K Mohanty mines, based on earlier investigations of Joda DDM and objections raised by general administration department. The state mines director, on the basis of the findings of the enforcement squad has already requested the state mines secretary not to renew the lease agreement of Mohanty. B K Mohanty, who has 35 hectare (ha) iron ore lease at Uliburu in Joda mineral circle, is accused of illegally raising and exporting iron ore worth Rs 1,800 crore upto 2009, before the irregularities were noticed by the government authorities. The miner is said to have excavated huge amount of iron ore from forest area by shifting the boundary pillars to nearby reserve forest. The DDM had also found that the miner raised iron ore from the forest area inside its lease hold area without any clearance. Last year, the Joda deputy director of mines had asked the power of attorney holder of the property, Gupta to submit details on illegal mining and selling of minerals worth Rs 1,776 crore.