Muzaffarpur: Police have busted a gang involved in looting automated teller machines (ATMs) in the districts of north Bihar on Saturday.

Twelve gang members have been arrested in a series of raids. A team lead by SP (city) Upendra Nath Verma first nabbed five gang members red-handed while they were looting an ATM at Chatri Chowk under Saraiya police station.

SSP Vivek Kumar said that on the basis of the arrests, the police nabbed 12 members of the gang and the cops found seven pistols, 19 cartridges, two mini-trucks and two gas cutters their possession. They have also confessed to their involvements in cutting 11 ATMs and looting money late in the night from Muzaffarpur, Samastipur and Vaishali districts in two months.

The SSP said: "They used to target ATMs in block areas by cutting electricity supply there at night. Members of the gang kept an eye on the cash van used to deposit money in the ATMs and looted the ATMs on the same night."

He added: "Bhujangi Sahni hailing from Muzaffarpur has admitted to be the kingpin of the gang. The gang has so far looted more than Rs 30 lakh by cutting 11 ATM machines in Muzaffarpur district alone. We have informed our counterparts in other districts to arrest criminals involved in looting money from the ATMS."

All the arrested members have been sent to Khudiram Bose Central Jail.