Sambalpur, May 28: A gang of armed robbers looted more than a lakh from Utkala Grameen Bank of Bhojpur in Kuchinda, 70km from here today.

The gangsters also looted two motorcycles and six mobile phones from the staff members and the customers of the bank’s Bhojpur branch.

The incident took place at around 12noon today. An eyewitness said: “Five robbers, all in their 20s, were involved in the crime. Three of them entered the bank and two others stayed outside. They took out revolvers and terrorised the bank employees and the customers. Then they went to the strong room and took away the money. Only five to six customers were present in the bank at the time of the loot.”

The Bhojpur Utkala Grameen Bank is a small branch with only three employees. The cash looted was Rs 1,15,565 approximately. Cashier of the bank Laba Kumar Singh said: “All the robbers had their faces covered. The robbers took the branch manager and me to the strong room at gunpoint. They looted the cash from the strong room and from the counter of the bank.”

The sub-divisional police officer of Kuchinda, Radha Binod Panigrahi, said: “They were conversing in the local language. We suspect that the dacoits belong to the local area. We have sealed all the exit routes. Five teams have been formed to nab the robbers. They will be arrested soon.”