At least nine cases of house-breaking and burglary which occurred here since last year, were detected although the crime branch sleuths were unable to recover stolen cash amounting to Rs 4.95 lakh. The seizure recovered articles of value like gold and silver ornaments, a foreign camera, wrist-watches, an audio system, clothes etc.

Of the 18 held, during the two-day operation sparked off by the chance-arrest of two gangsters by a patrol staff on the night of July 9 at Reshimbag, 13 are hardcore criminals, mainly from Madhya Pradesh.

No weapons were seized from them, police said, adding that the gangsters mostly operated bare-footed, sporting thenotorious chaddi-baniyan (underclothing) outfits.

Besides, having a typical style of getaway in case of trouble these men are also identified by their peculiar ability to pick up stones by their feet while in motion and pelt the same at those giving chase.

Talking to newsmen here this evening, Deputy Commissioner (Special Branch) H R Jadhav, who is also officiating head of the Crime Branch, and Assistant Commissioner (Crime) K B Dogra said, it was during a night roundup by sub-inspector Dattatraya Pawale and his staff in the Reshimbag locality when the police were tipped about the existence of a group of seven-odd of these men in the area.

Soon, the patrol staff proceeded to the spot, tipped by the informer, and managed to apprehend two of the gangsters even as their associates fled the scene. The arrested duo later identified themselves as Biharilal Phulasingh Thakur alias Kundan (25) and Shekhar Ramcharan Thakur Gond alias Sugnya (36).

Subsequent interrogations revealed that the gang ofnearly two dozen members came here from Itarsi and initially settled in make-shift camps at Kamptee. Later, the gangsters had shifted base to an open place adjoining the railway tracks at Ramtek and had plans to strike in a big way in the city.

``Usually they would spread out in small groups of seven to eight members and search their potential targets prior to planning the strike,'' Dogra said.

When the police posse went to Ramtek on the night of July 10 following revelation by Kundan and Sugnya, the gang had shifted base to Tumsar. But alert Ramtek residents smelling a rat due to the suspicious behaviour of the camping strangers tipped off the police about the direction they were headed for.

The same night, the police zeroed in on a make-shift camp behind the railway godown at Tumsar and apprehended 16 more gangsters, Dogra said.