Ramanathapuram police seized 38 gold bars weighing about 3.8 kg, Rs 12.2 lakh in cash and 226.8 grams of gold jewellery from five men near Kenikkarai during a vehicle check on Sept 18. Though the suspects claimed they found the valuables lying at an open ground, police found their explanation implausible and are examining possible smuggling and robbery links.
Ramanathapuram: Ramanathapuram police seized 38 gold bars weighing about 3.8 kg, Rs 12.2 lakh in cash and 226.8 grams of gold jewellery from five men near Kenikkarai during a vehicle check on Sept 18. Acting on a tip about suspicious activity late on Sept 17 and early the next day, a team tracked the group to Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board locality within Kenikkarai police limits. They were identified as Kuppusamy, 45, and Selvaraj, 62, of Ramanathapuram; and Palukutti alias Saravanan, 50, Marimuthu alias Boopathi, 25, and Velayudham, 40, of Thoothukudi. A case was registered at Kenikkarai police station on Sept 18. Police forwarded the case details to Customs Department and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence on Sept 19 for examination of the gold’s authenticity and possible illegal movement.
Though the suspects claimed they found the valuables lying at an open ground, police found their explanation implausible and are examining possible smuggling and robbery links. The men were stopped during a vehicle check and taken in for detailed questioning on finding the unaccounted valuables with them. Police documented the recovery through the e-Sakshya system before producing the articles before a judicial magistrate. They were later deposited in the treasury for safe custody after being entered in the court record.
On Wednesday, district police warned against social media posts carrying exaggerated or unverified claims about the case and appealed to the public to await official findings.