The Sadar police here on Sunday arrested and forwarded to court five highway looters who were involved in multiple criminal cases under different police station areas in the district.
The arrested were identified as Ripun Jena (22), Gajendra Das (26), Dharmendra Parida (22), Suryakanta Das (34) and Akash Lenka (20).
Baleswar Superintendent of Police Sagarika Nath said these anti-socials were involved in several cases and were on the radar of police following two incidents in the Khantapara and the Sadar police station areas on April 28 and 29, respectively.
Police seized a Tata Ace pickup van, a Royal Enfield Bullet bike, two scooties, a power tiller and machineries worth over Rs 3 lakh from the possession of the accused.
Nath said three of the accused are history-sheeters. As many as 14 cases are pending against Gajendra Das, nine against Dharmendra Parida and eight against Ripun Jena. Three members of the gang are still at large, she said.