Chandigarh, Feb 19 (IANS): Police in Ropar have claimed to bust an inter-state gang involved in over 60 cases of snatching and theft in various districts of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.

All the gang members, belonging to Patiala, were reportedly active for the last three years in Patiala, Khanna, Fatehgarh Sahib, Mohali and Ropar districts in Punjab and Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh, said an official.

"Their modus operandi was to leave home on motorcycles on the pretext of visiting religious places, leaving mobile phones at home. After committing crimes, like snatching, they would return home to carry out routine lives," police official Swapan Sharma said.

"Police have recovered more than 50 mobiles, six motorcycles and baseball bats, used for hitting the victims. They had also attempted ATM robberies, which are still being probed," Sharma said.

"They targeted victims late at night and were experts at dodging the police," he said.

All accused are below 25 and wanted in police records. Also all of them are drug addicts. Among them, Gurpreet and Aniket have several case of snatching, attempt to murder and murder registered against them in Patiala.

Others arrested are Jagpreet, Amandeep and Mangal Das.