KATHMANDU: Police have arrested a gang that robbed Yarsagumba from two collectors.

A team of the Metropolitan Crime Division (MCD) arrested seven people from different places of Kathmandu on Saturday. The arrested are identified as Dharma Okheda, Manoj Kumar Shrestha, Deepak Thapa Magar, Bishal Lama, Yongdesh Lama, Roshan Shrestha and Mohammad Isaac.

Police also recovered the 7.44 kg Yarsagumba from their possession that they looted from two persons, said MCD SP Krishna Koirala.

The arrestees called traders of the medicinal herb — Deepak Lama and Suresh Sapkota of Sindhupalchowk — to a hotel in New Bus Park on August 8 to buy Yarsagumba. They had even agreed to pay the two traders Rs. 2.8 million for one kg of Yarsagumba.

When the traders reached the agreed venue with the medicinal herb, the seven looted the contraband and escaped. Police investigation revealed Okheda masterminded the loot.