Bhubaneswar, Jan 15 (IANS): Odisha Police has arrested five members of an interstate gang involved in two ATM heist incidents in Soro and Khaira area of the Balasore district during the intervening night of January 10 and 11.

Police said that all accused hail from different areas of Haryana.

Miscreants had stolen more than Rs 10 lakhs by breaking two ATMs on the intervening night of January 10 and 11. The accused managed to escape by assaulting and threatening the security personnel at gunpoint.

“Our police teams had chased the gang after getting information of the ATM cutting and theft. During the chase, the culprits, who were in a white colour Suzuki Breeza car, managed to escape by pointing guns at the police team,” police sources said.

The accused were forced to abandon their car on a wooden bridge at a place under Khunta Police Station area of the district due to police checking and extensive search operation. Police during investigations found that the car had been stolen from the New Delhi.

“Based on the information collected from the belongings found in the abandoned car, use of a scientific team and dog squad and with the help of cyber cell and the CCTV footage, three teams of district police visited different areas in the district and outside in search of the accused. Finally, we have succeeded in apprehending the accused from Bhubaneswar,” said Sagarika Nath, Superintendent of Police, Balasore.

He said that six members of the gang were involved in the crime and police have identified the absconding looter who will be nabbed soon too.

He said that the cops also seized cash to the tune of Rs 6, 13,700 from the accused persons, pistol and ammunitions and other incriminating materials from the possession of the looters.