With the arrest of six persons, police today claimed to have busted an inter-district bike-lifting gang in Odisha's Ganjam district.
As many as 17 motor-cycles, looted from different places in Ganjam district in the last six months, have also been recovered, police said today.
With these fresh arrests yesterday, police have arrested 10 bike-lifters and recovered at least 31 motorbikes in the last four days in Ganjam and Kandhamal districts.
The six arrested persons were identified as Sangeet Mallick, Manash Mallick, Mintu Mallick of Baliguda area in Kandhamal district, Rudrakshya Panda of Laxmi Nursingh Sahi, Pabitra Kumar Das of Old Berhampur and Jhulu Moharana of Lathi, said Inspector In-Charge of Bada Bazar police station A K Mohanty.
Moharana played the role of receiver of the stolen bikes and at least three of these vehicles were recovered from him, Mohanty said.
"We had seized a looted bike from two persons from Baligda recently during patrolling in the town. After interrogation, we came to known a well-organised and inter-district bike-lifting racket was operating. Thereafter, the arrests were made," he said.
Investigation was in progress, Police said adding the bike-lifters generally loot motorcycles parked in isolated places and sell these at throwaway prices through middlemen in different places.
