8 looters arrested in Angul

Angul: Police have arrested a gang of looters, who were allegedly involved in more than 10 cases in the last one month, in Odisha’s Angul district.

Speaking to media persons here on Tuesday, Satyajit Mishra, Additional SP of Angul, said the police were on lookout for the gang who had created a havoc in the district for the last one month. As the gang of 8 looters had managed to evade police, a special team was formed to nab them, he added.

Speaking on the looters’ modus operandi, Mishra said they used to mostly target the employees of finance companies and non-banking financial companies. The gang had known that these employees used to carry huge cash without armed escort to deposit in banks.

“The gang members were keeping a watch on movement of such employees and the route taken by them. Identifying a deserted stretch on the route, the gang would keep waiting for the bike-borne employees. As soon as the employees carrying the cash would reach the deserted area, two members of the gang would intercept them. One would take out the bike’s key and the other point a weapon at them. Then they would loot the cash and flee,” said the ASP.

As many as 10 cases of loot at the point of knives and other weapons had been filed since August. The complainants included employees of a finance company and service call centre and a medicine wholesaler.

Following investigation, the special team of police arrested 8 members of the gang. The police also seized Rs 43,000 in cash, 6 motorcycles, mobile phones and several weapons from their possession, the ASP said.