Rs 50 Lakh Recovered from Smuggler-Trio
RAMANATHAPURAM: A gold-smuggling racket was busted early on Monday with the detention of a trio from whom the police recovered Rs 50 lakh, proceeds from the sale of the smuggled yellow metal from Sri Lanka.
According to police,the detained trio - Senthilvelan of Perunkulam, the kingpin, Raja of Pattinamkathan and Gajendran, a driver of R S Madai - had transported to Chennai 12 kg gold bars which landed at Pudukottai from Sri Lanka by sea.
Dispute over sharing the booty landed them in the police net and the cops raided their houses and recovered the cash. When the contraband, concealed in four bags, reached Pudukottai 20 days ago, Senthilvelan was contacted over phone by an agent to facilitate its transportation and sale in Chennai.
Senthilvelan purchased a car and engaged driver Ganjendran, assuring him Rs 50,000 commission and left for Pudukottai. They also took the assitance of Raja. After receiving the consignment, they proceeded to Chennai by night. In Chennai, concealing one bag, they handed over three bags to a middle man at Porur. Later, Senthilvelan sold the gold to a jewelery for Rs 50 lakh and returned.
While the trio stayed at a hotel, a verbal altercation broke out on sharing the money and it was informed to the police. In a pre-dawn operation, a police team comprising Velladurai, Ad SP, Kennedy, inspector ‘Q’ branch, Jesu, inspector attached to Kenikarai police station and another inspector detained the three and raised their houses.
While Rs 43 lakh was recovered from Senthilvelan’s house, Rs 6 lakh and Rs 1 lakh was seized from the residences of Gajendran and Raja respectively. Kenikarai police registered a case and inquiry is on. According to Velladurai, the case would be transferred to the Customs Department later.