June 18: Nine men who had apparently looted many ATMs were caught in Hooghly's Rishra early today.

A firearm, bullets, a gas cutter, toy pistols, pepper spray, chloroform and tools to break open an ATM were seized from them, the police said.

Cops got to know of their role in ATM robberies during interrogation.

But they are yet to find the loot.

A team from Rishra police station was patrolling Delhi Road around three in the morning when they spotted the men.

"Four of them boarded a car parked nearby and tried to speed away," an officer of Rishra police station said.

"But officers gave chase and caught the vehicle. The four led us to another five who were picked up within an hour from a hideout in the area."

The seized items were found in the car, another officer said.

Speaking about their modus operandi, the officer said they would spray pepper on the guard and then make him unconscious with the help of chloroform.

"They used gas cutters to break open ATM vaults and steal the money," the officer said.

The man said they had used toys guns to scare guards in some cases, the police said.

"When some of them worked on an ATM vault inside a kiosk, a few stood guard outside with toyguns to scare away whoever would turn up," an officer said.

Last November, Rs 8.5 lakh was looted from an ATM in Konnagar.

A few weeks before that another ATM robbery was reported in Uttarpara.

The men have admitted they were involved in both robberies, the police claimed.

One of the investigating officers said the gang could be involved in similar robberies in neighbouring districts.

Police records show three ATMs in neighbouring districts had been robbed. But there has been no arrest till now.

"We are in touch with the police in Burdwan... we have shared details of the nine arrested men with them," another officer said. "It is still to be ascertained, if these men were involved in the robberies there."

The nine are from Howrah, Serampore, Rishra and Konnagar.

Serampore court sent them to police custody for four days.