Lucknow, Dec 31 : The Yogi Adityanath government, while pursuing its policy of zero tolerance against crime and corruption, has seized properties worth Rs 733 crore belonging to the mafia and criminals. Lucknow was at the top of the list with properties worth Rs 88.15 crore attached while Gautam Buddha Nagar ranked second with properties worth Rs 66.8 crore attached. Balrampur, Ghazipur, Gorakhpur, Aurraiya, Jaunpur, Muzaffarnagar, Prayagraj and Deoria were the other districts where similar action was taken. According to Additional Chief Secretary (home) Avanish Awasthi, the properties were seized under a special campaign initiated by the state government against crime and corruption. The campaign aimed at breaking the economic backbone of criminals and we have succeeded in doing so," said Awasthi. The attachment of property was done under Section 14 of the Gangsters Act which says that "If the District Magistrate has reason to believe that any property, whether moveable or immovable, in possession of any person has been acquired by a gangster as a result of the commission of an offence triable under this Act, he may order attachment of such property whether or not cognizance of such offence has been taken by any Court." Action was taken under this provision in ten districts of the state. The state government cracked down on mafia dons-turned politicians like Mukhtar Ansari and Ateeq Ahmad, both of whom in jail at present. Properties belonging to the two and their associates, through ill-gotten wealth and also by force, were confiscated and many were even demolished. The campaign had begun in January 2020 continued through the year. /IANS