Dumka (Jharkhand), Aug 18 (PTI) An inter-state gang involved in looting the agents of Microfinance companies was busted with the arrest of eight miscreants and recovery of arms and ammunitions from them in Dumka district, police today said.

Superintendent of Police, Kishore Kaushal said incidents of looting of agents of microfinance companies were taking place in Ramgarh, Saraiyahat, Hansdiha, Jama, Maslia and Jermundi police stations for last three months.

The gang members used to pounce on the agents while they were returning after collection, he said adding that the gang members knocked the agents down from their bikes and looted the cash and other belongings.

Kaushal said a team headed by Deputy Superintendent of Police Pujya Prakash was formed to investigate and apprehend the culprits.

Based on inputs that the gang members had planned to commit the crime, the Officer-in-charge of Shikaripara police station, Manoj Kumar Thakur conducted a raid and arrested seven members of the gang and the subsequent interrogation with the arrested criminals led police to nab one more accomplice from Chandangadia locality on Friday.

Apart from eight police stations of Dumka, the gang members have committed crime in Godda, Pakur as well as adjoining areas of West Bengal, he said elaborating that the gang members were also engaged in extracting ransom and levy from businessmen and contractors on the pretext of being naxals.

Police have also recovered a country-made carbine, a 7.62 bore semi-automatic pistol, two country-made pistols, one single barrel rifle of .303 bore, 23 live cartridges, five mobile phones and four motorcycles from them.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)