CHENNAI: Public are the new guardians of law at the Adyar police limit. With the help of a helpline number launched here - a 41-year-old woman was arrested on Wednesday for running a fake online house-help service. When Ashokraj, first contacted the service provider, Roja Manpower, he was sure he would soon get to see a house-help at his doorstep. To avail the services he made an online payment of Rs 4,500. It was much later that he realised that he had been cheated.
Ashokraj, a resident of Vettuvankani, was earlier reluctant to lodge a complaint, but the helpline number made his work easier. He filed a complaint with the Neelankarai police station. “When he contacted the agency, a woman told him that she would send a domestic help to his place and made him pay the amount. Soon after he paid, her phone was not reachable. It is then Ashok realised he has been cheated,” said a police officer attached with the Adyar police cyber cell.
The woman was identified as R Amul (41) of Saidapet. Investigation revealed that she had previously cheated several persons in the same way. “Many residents are providing tip-off through the helpline number,” said a police officer, in charge of communicating the public tip-offs to concerned police stations. V Vikraman, Adyar, Deputy Commissioner of Police said, “With the help of cybercrime cells, people can get their issues solved at a manifold pace from the safety of their homes.”
Not an isolated case
The Thoraipakkam police on July 15, received a tip-off via helpline number regarding a flesh trade racket operating out of a spa in Perungudi. Police rescued four women who were forced into prostitution. Three men were also arrested. Similarly, two weeks ago, two men were arrested for selling painkillers for analgesic drugs and police seized cash worth `7 lakh from them. About 3,500 tablets, syrup bottles were also seized.
The residents of Adyar and surrounding areas can contact 87544 01111.