"In a cordon-and-search operation at Naveen Mittal colony falling under Chilakalapudi police station limits, three persons were taken into custody," Machilipatnam Deputy Superintendent of Police D Surya Sravan Kumar said.
Sixteen motorcycles and seven autorickshaws were impounded in the operation that was conducted in nearly 100 houses of the locality, he said.
The aim of the operation, which was carried out by nearly 80 policemen, is to weed out anti-social elements from the city, he said.