Lucknow, Nov 20 (IANS): A team of Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) has arrested five contract killers of a gang here, sources said here on Monday.

Those arrested were identified as Golu and mastermind Irfan Ali, alias Fanna, both of Unnao, Imran Laddan, of Hardoi, Sharukh Ghazi and their shelter provider, Jamshed, both of Lucknow's Para area.

The team recovered a pistol of 315 bore, two live cartridges, an Aadhaar card, four ATM cards, six mobile phones and Rs 11,000 in cash besides two cars.

STF ASP Amit Nagar said the task force was working on the gang, tagged as 'hire-for-murder' gang.

The team got a tip-off that the gang had gunned down one Santosh Yadav of Unnao district, and the team intensified its investigation.

"On Sunday, the team was informed that members of this gang were going to meet someone near the Agra Expressway. The team laid a trap and arrested accused Golu, alias Salman who told police during interrogation that he, along with his associates Imran, Sharukh and Chand had killed Santosh Yadav, a resident of Narsa, in Unnao, on October 17," Nagar stated.

He said he and other his aides had committed this murder at the behest of Irfan a.k.a.Fanna, in return for which they were promised a good amount of money.

Later, the team arrested other accused," said Nagar.

Nagar added that Irfan confessed to his crime and disclosed that he got Santosh Yadav killed following electoral rivalry between him and the deceased in the gram panchayat elections.

Besides this, Irfan said that Santosh Yadav used to throw spanners in the illegal businesses being run by the former by giving information to police.

Jamshed said Irfan was in the business of buying and selling land, provided money and illegal weapons to him and he gave shelter to shooters and gunslingers.