Ranchi, Feb. 22: Elections in the capital over, criminals are back in business.

Criminals broke into Azad Pharmacy in Sainik Market late last night and took away Rs 80,000 cash. This evening, a trader from Calcutta was robbed of Rs 1.3 lakh near Station Road. Police sources, quoting eyewitnesses, said a group of men was seen loitering around the Sainik Market complex around midnight.

?I close my shop very late. Around 11.30 pm, I spotted some men going towards Azad Pharmacy. I followed them for some time. But all of a sudden, they disappeared. These people were waiting since evening for their chance,? said a betel shop-owner of the area.

The criminals cut the shutter at the rear entrance and entered the store. ?The front entrance is difficult to break as there is a collapsible gate in front of the shutter. But there is no protection at the rear entrance,? said Mohammad Abdul, the owner of Azad Pharmacy.

The criminals struck on a day when the store had cash inside. ?Usually, we shift our cash from the shop every two days. We had planned to take out the money yesterday. But for some reason we could not.?

The strike has come as a blow to the police, which had beefed up security in the area.

Criminals struck again this evening. Three armed men looted Rs 1.3 lakh from one A.K. Sharma, a trader from Calcutta, around 4.30 pm near Station Road.

Sources in the Chutia police station said Sharma was to board the Hatia-Howrah Express, which leaves Ranchi around 8.30 in the evening. ?The man was roaming around the Ranchi railway station as the train arrives at 8.30 pm. The money was in his briefcase. It seems that the criminals knew about this and were following him,? said a police official.

The criminals held the man at gunpoint, snatched the briefcase and made their way in a motorcycle.

?Investigations are on. We are conducting raids in and around the Station Road area in order to nab the criminals,? said a police officer. The twin strikes come after a lull in criminal activities in the capital.

Police sources argued that the crime rate dips during elections because the criminals and gangsters are busy with political activities.