Keonjhar: Police arrested two criminals, who tried to extort Rs 2 crore from the management a sponge iron factory, by posing as Maoists.

The arrested duo include a juvenile from neighbouring Jharkhand.

Babul Singh Khuntia and his juvenile partner followed the Maoists' playbook and stuck posters on the factory walls at Phuljhar village in Nayakot police limits and sought Rs 2 crore as protection money.

"Later, they made phone calls to the management. However, the factory officials mustered courage to lodge a complaint. We traced their cell phones through electronic tracking," said sub-divisional police officer Sriharsha Mishra.

Accordingly, the police laid a trap to nab them. "The company officials gave in to their extortion demand. They were told to come to a predetermined spot to take the cash. Plainclothes police personnel were keeping watch on the duo from a close distance as the company officials reached the spot with the bag. Armed cops were swiftly overpowered them," he said.

The cops also recovered a loaded country-made revolver with two cartridges. They ran an extortion racket in various parts of northern Odisha and Jharkhand.