New Jalpaiguri police have nabbed a gang allegedly involved in a number of cases involving ATM loots and bids in and around Siliguri.

The gang, police said, had been arrested near Gajoldoba in Rajganj block of neighbouring Jalpaiguri on Saturday.

“We acted on a tip-off and on Saturday deputed a team from the NJP police station on the road that connects Gajoldoba. They intercepted an SUV heading towards Gajoldoba. Over 50kg of cannabis was found in it and five men were arrested,” said an official of the Siliguri Metropolitan Police.

The five were produced at a court in Jalpaiguri and sent to police custody. During interrogation, they admitted they were involved in attempts to loot cash from ATM kiosks from various areas of Siliguri.

“Since 2019, there were at least 12 such cases when ATM counters were vandalised. We were in search of the criminals. The arrested accused admitted that they ransacked the ATMs. Their SUV had iron rods and other equipment to ransack ATMs,” the officer said.

The police are now trying to find out the amount the gang had managed to loot from some of the ATMs.