Liquor bottles and cash were stolen from two liquor shops on two consecutives nights during year-end.

Calcutta police have arrested a gang that had allegedly stolen Rs 5 lakh and at least 25 liquor bottles from the two stores in the Garfa and Kasba areas. After the loot, they had fled in a vehicle with a fake number plate.

The first incident was reported from an off-shop on Purbachal Road in Garfa from where Rs 2.59 lakh and 15 bottles of liquor were stolen. The burglars had entered the shop by breaking its shutters around 2am on December 29.

The next day, a similar case was reported from another off-shop at Shantipally in the Kasba police station limits. The robbers had escaped with Rs 2.67 lakh and some liquor bottles.

Police said the robbers used the same modus operandi to break into the shop.

“We scrutinised footage of 35 CCTV cameras to track the movement of a white Scorpio that is suspected to have been used for the crime. However, on investigation we found that the number plate was fake,” said a senior officer of the detective department.

Acting on a tip-off, the police arrested Palash Santra, Rajveer Singh and Gous Alam from Kamalgazi on Friday.

Some of the cash, a few liquor bottles and house-breaking equipment were recovered from them.

The white Scorpio was also seized.