Tamil Nadu Police Idol Wing recovers 400-year-old antique worth over Rs 2 crore, arrests 4 accused
India Today
The idol wing of the Tamil Nadu Police arrested 4 people and recovered a 400-year-old antique idol worth Rs 2.30 crores. The idol is that of a royal lady belonging to the Sethupathy clan.
The Tamil Nadu Police, idol Wing recovered a 400-year-old antique idol of a royal lady belonging to the Sethupathy clan on the Trichy-Madurai highway from idol smugglers who were trying to sell the idol for over Rs 2 crore. A total of four people have been arrested in connection with the crime.
Based on the information that two men, Arumugaraj (56) and Kumaravel (32), both residents of Thoothukudi, were trying to sell an antique idol, the idol wing got into action.
Upon receiving the information at the Idol Wing headquarters, the Director General of Police Idol Wing, K Jayanth Murali, the Inspector General of Police, Idol Wing, Dinakaran, and the Superintendent of Police, Idol wing, Ravi, figured out that the idol sellers were being discreet and cautious in approaching buyers.
The team hatched a plan to disguise some of the staff as rich buyers and approach the sellers.
Following this, a special team under the leadership of Additional Superintendent of Police (ADSP) Malaisamy, Madurai range, came up with a strategy to hoodwink the sellers into believing that the Idol Wing staff were wealthy idol collectors.
They approached the sellers, and after winning their confidence, the team identified the person who had the antique idol in their possession.
A man, identified as 31-year-old Musthafa from Trichy district, as per the agreement made by the Idol Wing team with the sellers, brought the antique idol to a predetermined spot on the Trichy-Madurai highway.
