Bhubaneswar: In a major crackdown, police on Monday night arrested as many as 11 persons of an inter-State robbery gang on the charge of carrying out burglaries in many areas of Bhubaneswar since last few months.

The accused were identified as Garib Giri, Daulat Giri, Sunil Mogia, Malakar, Sangli Malakar, Kunal MalakarSankar Sigra, Raju Bagri, Sanu BagriSantosh Das and Ramsingh Chauhan, all of them from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand. They were apprehended by cops near Tarekswar temple along Daya river during night patrolling at Dhauli, while they were on the way to commit a crime. The gang members have criminal criminal antecedents and been wanting in several cases in Puri, Khordha, Bhadrak and other districts apart from the State Capital, police informed in an official release.

Two sly wrench, two house breaking instruments, four screw drivers, 12 robbed gold bangles, metal idols and Rs 6,400 cash were recovered from their possession among other incriminating items.

The release further stated that the  group was active in carrying out organised burglaries in Dhauli, Badgad, laxmisagar, Airport and Airfield areas of the Capital since a few months. Known as the "Chadi Baniyan" gang from the kind of attires they wore during crime, the miscreants used to carry out the crime by breaking into houses between 2 am to 4 am without use of any vehicle or mobile phones.

Police also informed that from their modus operandi, it is clear that the group is part of a larger inter-State criminal gang called the Chadi and Baniyan gang, locally called banjaras or vagabonds. They commit crimes tying their dress around their waist and without any footwear and professionally break into houses during night hours. The members had been active in Odishasince last one year. They were staying as a group at Bhubaneswar railway station and at times, at Cuttack and Puri railway stations. The miscreants used to work as labourers during the day and carry out theft at night by targeting colonies close to roads, newly developed and less lighted areas, the release stated.