Bhubaneswar, Oct. 4: The arrest of petty criminals belonging to a neighbouring state here on Monday has alarmed police in this festive season.

City police stations have been alerted on the eve of Lakshmi Puja as the goons are targeting festive revellers. There will be nearly 100 Lakshmi Puja pandals in the city.

The police on Monday arrested two youths from Bengal and seized 28 mobile phones worth Rs 10 lakh from their possession.

The police said both the accused Dipak Singh, 21, and Govind Singh, 19, had reached Bhubaneswar nine days ago and were involved in a series of mobile theft cases near pandals across the city.

Investigation revealed that the accused were staying near Jagatpur in Cuttack and used to visit Bhubaneswar to commit thefts.

On September 25, the cops arrested two snatchers hailing from Siliguri in Bengal and seized three stolen gold chains from them.

The duo came here on a stolen motorcycle and used to snatch valuables from passers-by.

Similarly, the police in September had also arrested members of a Tamil Nadu-based gang involved in loot of valuables.

The gang members dropped currency notes near their targets to divert their attention and then loot them. Two criminals from Chhattisgarh have also been arrested.

The police said criminals from Bengal, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Tamil Nadu used the huge rush at various Puja pandals to snatch mobiles and other valuables.

The police said a number of juveniles from Bihar selling balloons during festivals were also involved in theft and snatching cases.

'Most of these criminals stay in various low-budget hotels by producing fake identity proofs and committed petty crimes. The criminals would never stay at one place for long to avoid suspicion. The stolen articles are disposed of in their home states,' said a police official.

Deputy commissioner of police Satyabrata Bhoi said police stations concerned had been asked to deploy their men in plain clothes around the pandals to keep tabs on petty criminals.

'We have also asked police stations to check the incumbency charts of various hotels, lodges and guest houses to trace criminals from the neighbouring states,' said Bhoi.