Gorakhpur (UP): Police in this Uttar Pradesh district have arrested seven members of a Maharashtra-based gang that was involved in thefts at crowded religious sites, officials said on Sunday.

The gang members — five women and two men — were arrested on Saturday evening, they said, adding that police have seized Rs 26,000 in cash, a gold bangle and a vehicle from their possession.

The gang was notorious for targeting crowded religious sites across Uttar Pradesh, using distractions and deceit to commit pickpocket and theft. During the Dhanteras festival, they had stolen gold ornaments from a woman in the Gorakhnath area of Gorakhpur, police said.

The gang had also planned to target the large crowd at the Khichdi Mela held at the Gorakhnath temple.

Acting on a tip-off, the Cantonment Police intercepted and arrested the gang members from a spot near the railway station.

Those arrested included Jyoti Prasad, hailing from the Kanhan police station area in Maharashtra’s Nagpur district.

During interrogation, the accused revealed that they stayed in Ayodhya for six months before moving to Gorakhpur to carry out thefts.

They admitted to committing similar crimes in other cities, taking measures such as leaving their mobile phones behind and using vehicles for swift getaways.

Additional Superintendent of Police (City) Abhinav Tyagi confirmed the arrests, saying, “The Maharashtra-based gang, including five women, was behind the Dhanteras theft in Gorakhpur. The gang members were on our radar and the Cantonment Police arrested them upon receiving intelligence about their return to the city.” Further investigations are underway to trace other possible accomplices of the arrested accused and recover stolen items.