Members of the arrested gang. Telegraph picture

Kendrapara, Jan 23: The district police have arrested a gang of six members all of whom are less than 20 years of age. The gang also included a Plus II student of Kendrapara Autonomous College.

The young gang was involved in a series of crimes including highway robbery, dacoity, motorbike snatching and murder attempt.

“It’s a disturbing trend. Lure of easy money prompted them to take to such crimes,” said Kendrapara SP Narasingha Bhol.

The arrested gang members, according to police, are Krupasindhu Behera (19), Rabindra Barik (18), Seikh Azharuddin (20), Seikh Abdullah Sabir (20), Suraj Kumar Dey (19) and a 16-year-old college student.

The arrest was made on the basis of a complaint lodged in connection with motorcycle-snatching case reported last year on Kajala road in the town.

Two stolen motorcycles, besides arms and ammunition, were seized from them.

The gang was led by Azharuddin, who is the youngest son of Seikh Hyder, a notorious criminal.

The members had recently procured arms so as to execute at least three crimes in the township and adjoining areas, SP Bhol told reporters.

These new crime mongers were posing much headache to the local police. They had gone executing a series of crimes since past one year. But they remained undetected. None of them had past antecedents of crime. Majority of the crimes committed by them was with professional expertise.

The notorious crime syndicates that was active in these parts swayed them to take to crime to earn a fast buck. Most of them maintained fast lifestyle.

There are about 20 more teenagers who have been initiated into the said gang. Search is on to nab them on the basis of confession made by the arrested criminals, SP Bhol said.

“We are keeping tab on such young groups of criminals. As this is a disturbing trend, police would try to stop such misguided elements from taking up the path of crimes”, he said.