Guwahati, April 24: Inter-state gangs of criminals from states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are reportedly involved in robberies in Assam.

A police source said according to information available with them, these gangs operate with the help of local contacts and flee the state soon after committing the crime.

“It is difficult to apprehend them because by the time the crime is reported and the police start investigation, they flee from the state and go into hiding in their native places outside the state and wait for things to cool off to get back to work,” the source said.

He said last Sunday, Delhi police arrested three members of an inter-state gang, which was allegedly involved in several robberies in Assam.

“According to Delhi police, they have confessed to involvement in robberies in Assam, Delhi and Mumbai,” the source said.

The accused, identified as Pankaj Singh, Dharmender Singh and Surender Singh, all hailing from Lakhimpur Kheri district in Uttar Pradesh, were arrested in the Uttam Nagar area in Delhi.

However, the kingpin of the gang, Rahul Chadda, is still at large.

“We hope to know more details about their operations in Assam if we can take them into our custody for interrogation,” he said.

The police claim that there are many such inter-state gangs active in the state.

Usually one member of the gang keeps a watch on people in banks who withdraw large amounts of cash and passes the information to his associates present outside the bank.

“They then follow their targets on motorcycles and wait for an appropriate time to rob them and flee with the cash,” he said.

The police source stressed the need for more co-ordination between the state police forces to bust such rackets.

These gangs had let loose a rein of terror and lawlessness by indulging in robberies and snatchings in the state, mostly in Guwahati.

“They are armed with pistols and don’t hesitate to even shoot their targets if they resist them,” he said.

Businessmen returning home with cash after closing their shops were targeted by these gangs and around four to five such incidents had happened in the city within a year.

The police source said these gangs operate throughout the year, but during festivals the number of such gangs increases.

“A lot of cash is transported from one place to the other. This serves as an opportunity for these motorcycle-borne criminals to strike. More than half of such criminals active in the state come from outside,” he said.

“During their stay in the city, they also do odd jobs to ensure that no one suspects them,” the source said.

According to him, some local persons help them in lieu of money.

He said the police have stepped up vigil in and around banks and policemen in uniform as well as plain clothes have been deployed to arrest such criminals.