In a major breakthrough, the police on Sunday arrested five members of a criminal gang which was indulged loot, extortion and firing in Mango area.

While arresting the criminals, the police recovered two pistols, ammunition, two-wheelers and mobile phones from their possession.

Revealing about the breakthrough, senior SP, M Tamil Vanan said since December, there had been a spurt in crime in Mango and adjoining Azadnagar as well as Ulidih thana area.

"Concerned with the increasing crime in Mango, a special team had been set up for detection of the criminals involved in perpetrating the crime in the area. Incidentally, the team headed by DSP (Patamda) Sumit Kumar stumbled upon two suspicious youth at Azadnagar on Saturday night. The team nabbed the two, Washim Ansari and Mohammed Safique and recovered a loaded pistol from them. After the duo were interrogated that it was unfolded that they were the members of the same gang which had been committing crime in the area, " said Vanan while addressing a press conference here at the Mango thana on Sunday afternoon.

The senior SP pointed out on the instance of the arrested duo, the police team raided several places in Azadnagar thana area on Sunday morning and arrested three more gang members.

He said during the arrests this morning, the police recovered one more pistol and ammunition besides two two-wheelers from the three identified as Sabir Ali, Jahid Khan and Mohammed Saheed.

According to to Vanan, those arrested confessed they had fired shots on a businessman in Azadnagar on December 17, looted a jeweller at Ulidih on January 3 and robbed a medicine shop owner at Mango on January 5.

The senior SP said the most of the gang members had come out of the Ghaghidih Central jail a month ago and having been released on bail from the jail they had started committing the serial crime.