Biswanath Singh, an employee of a petrol pump, from whom Rs 3 lakh was snatched. Picture by Gopal Senapati

Five youths on motorcycles made off with Rs 9 lakh in two incidents in Behala and Liluah on Monday.

A couple of youths on a two-wheeler snatched Rs 6 lakh from two employees of a private security agency on Diamond Harbour Road, in Manton, Behala, around 3pm. The employees were on their way to a bank to deposit the money.

“The youths, in their 20s, blocked the road and snatched the bag at gunpoint,” said Praveen Kumar, the superintendent of police, South 24-Parganas. “A hunt is on for the duo.”

In Liluah, Howrah, a gang of three on a motorcycle snatched Rs 3 lakh from an employee of a petrol pump near National Highway 6 around 10am. Biswanath Singh, 45, was waiting for a bus near the pump on his way to the bank when the armed trio struck.

They overpowered Singh and snatched the suitcase containing the money. Singh’s colleagues who were standing nearby and a few other witnesses could not intervene as the snatchers were brandishing revolvers.

“The youths ordered me to hand over the money, but I refused. They kept hitting me on the head with revolver butts till I relented,” recalled Singh. The three fled towards Bally.

This is the latest in a series of snatchings and robberies in the area in the past 10 days. On February 8, an armed gang raided UCO Bank’s Liluah branch and decamped with Rs 3 lakh. Two youths on a motorcycle snatched a necklace from Smita Agasti, a resident of Andul Road, on February 12.

The next day, Rs 1 lakh was snatched from Pranab Sengupta, a resident of Shibpur. He was returning home after withdrawing the money from a bank.