Cuttack, Sept. 16: Police claim to have busted a drug-and-loot gang that robbed people during late night or early morning at the railway station and bus terminus, following the arrest of two persons yesterday.

There were several drug-and-loot cases against the gang of autorickshaw drivers, but they had managed to evade arrest till now, the police said.

The arrested persons have been identified as Gyanaranjan Behera, 33, of Sashanapada in Niali police station limits in Cuttack district and Pravat Samal, 35, of Bagalpur under Biridi police station limits in Jagatsinghpur.

'Seven Nitrosen-10 tablets (stupefying drug), one laptop, two cell phones, Rs 3,600 in cash and two autorickshaws were seized from them,' inspector in charge of Chauliaganj police station Ajay Das said.

The police made the arrests while investigating a drug-and-loot case that took place on September 1.

Banamali Sahoo, who worked with a private company in Pune, came to Bhubaneswar by Konark Express and intended to reach Cuttack by bus.

Around 6am, Sahoo took an autorickshaw to go to OMP Square, from where he intended to get on a bus to his destination.

However, the auto driver insisted that he drop him home. On the way near Sai Temple at Bidyadharpur, the driver offered him tea.

Sahoo mentioned in his complaint with the police that he had felt drowsy after taking the tea. Thereafter, he was thrown out of the autorickshaw and the driver took off with his mobile phone, Rs 5000 in cash, clothes and educational certificates.

Ajay Das said: 'During interrogation, they (Behera and Samal) confessed to their involvement in similar cases... Since we have received a number of similar reports, a test identification parade of both the accused are being conducted for tagging them in other similar cases. Investigation is on.'