Sambalpur, June 5: The district police today arrested seven persons and claimed to have busted a gang involved in the making of aluminium ingots from stolen electrical wire.

The cops have seized 128 pieces aluminium ingots and eight quintals of stolen electric aluminium wire from their possession.

"The gang members have been booked under sections 379 and 34 of IPC besides under section 135 of Electricity Act," said sub-divisional police officer Utakala Keshari Dash.

The police said that the thieves stole electrical wires from various places and melted them at a rubber factory in Jayantpur.

The gang members had taken the closed rubber factory on rent about a year ago. They had been operating their business from there.

The police have seized a machine used to convert wires into aluminium ingots. They used to sell the ingots to some companies in Chhattisgarh.

The arrested persons have been identified as Judhisthir Mirdha of Sason, Hari Tandia of Sudunga, Md Raju of Golebazar, Ranjit of Makhanpara in Bareipali, Md Zahid of Sunapali, Seikh Abdul Kasim of Kumbharpara and Mahesh Patel of Gujrati Colony.

The cops have also seized all the materials and machines used in making the aluminium ingots.

"The police have launched an investigation to trace the companies that purchased the aluminium ingots from the accused," said the sub divisional police officer.