Cuttack: Police foiled a plan to commit a dacoity in a jewellery shop at Manglabag and arrested four persons, including two criminals of Ganjam, on Tuesday.

The cops nabbed Ganesh Dash, 21, and Rabindra Swain, 25 - both of Aska in Ganjam district, Srikanta Behera, 35, of Badamba in Cuttack district and Rajendra Natha, 20, of Sagadia Sahi in Cuttack city.

"During the arrests, the police seized from their possession one 7.65mm handmade pistol, two live catridges, one Micromax mobile phone, one Samsung mobile phone, two motorcycle keys and one TVS Apache motorcycle," deputy commissioner of police Akhileswar Singh said.

Acting on a tip-off that a group of criminals near the Odisha Maritime Museum were preparing to commit a dacoity, Manglabag police station inspector-in-charge Arun Kumar Swain and other personnel conducted raid at the place. A five-member gang had reportedly targeted a jewellery shop at Manglabag.

During the raid four persons could be apprehended, while one fled.

"It was ascertained that the accused persons, Ganesh and Rabindra, are involved in a series of crimes in Ganjam district and wanted by Polsara, Kabisuryanagar and Aska police," Singh said.

"They stole the TVS Apache motorcycle at Thoria Sahi on November 23 and used it for commission of dacoity from the house of a businessman in Bajrakabati Road and also planned to loot a jewellery shop in Cuttack," he said.

Police said inquiries into their antecedents indicated that both were involved in at least nine cases of dacoity and illegal use of firearms in Ganjam. While Ganesh was involved in five cases registered at Polsara, Kabisuryanagar and Aska police stations, Rabindra was involved in four cases registered at the same police stations. Both were involved in one case registered at Manglabag police station.