Cuttack, Sept. 7: Police today busted an interstate gang of highway robbers involved in a series of hijacking of trucks and trailers.

However, what is surprising here is that the kingpin and other key members of the gang were into high salaried jobs in different parts of the twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar.

Altogether 14 people, including nine members of the gang and five receivers, have been arrested while the cops have recovered a trailer loaded with nearly 26 tonnes of iron rod, a Honda City car and 18 mobile phones.

The mastermind of the gang, Rashmi Ranjan Banua, 24, was working as a marketing manager at a leading LED bulb manufacturing unit in Bhubaneswar.

His associate Souradeep Nayak, 35, from Salepur was working with an NGO as hospitality trainee and was getting a monthly salary of Rs 30,000.

Lalit Ranjan Dhal, 35, from Khurda was working as a correspondent with a regional TV channel and was drawing a salary of Rs 32,000 per month.

The police officials said the entire gang worked for one Ajay Nayak alias Guruji, 38, of Puri. He used to pay nearly Rs 2 to 3 lakh per consignment looted by the gang and subsequently used to dispose of the iron rods in Puri, Dhenkanal, Baripada and other parts of the state.

The cops have arrested Guruji and other receivers of the stolen consignments.

Police commissioner R. P. Sharma said that the gang was involved in at least four incidents of hijacking and loot of iron rod consignments on the national highway. They targetted trailers and trucks loaded with iron rods that would fetch around Rs 20 lakh.

The gang was busted while cops were investigating into the hijacking of a trailer of Jamshedpur-based cargo unit Saizer enterprises on August 26, Sharma said.

The gang after intercepting the trailer had abducted both the driver and helper near Birupa bridge near Jagatpur police station limits. Later, the goons took the vehicle to Pipili via Cuttack-Puri bypass, unloaded the consignment and abandoned it near Mancheswar in Bhubaneswar.

Senior officials said that since the vehicle was equipped with a GPS system, the company officials had traced it on their own.