Five arrested for attempting to sell fake gold coins in Tamil Nadu
Based on a tip-off about a gang trying to sell fake jewellery worth ₹36 lakh near Sengam in Tiruvannamalai, the police set a trap and arrested the suspects.
by Pramod Madhav · India TodayIn Short
- Police recovered 40 grams of fake coins from gang
- They caught five-member gang red-handed during a deal
- Gang used to sell fake gold coins to people claiming them as treasure
Five people were arrested for attempting to sell fake gold coins, claiming they were treasures recovered from an excavation in Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu.
Based on a tip-off about a gang trying to sell fake jewellery worth â¹36 lakh near Sengam in Tiruvannamalai, the police set a trap and arrested the suspects.
The gang, led by Dharmalingam, 62, from Muraiyar, was caught during a deal on the outskirts of Muraiyar. Dharmalingam, along with the other gang members, was waiting in his SUV to sell the fake gold coins.
Two men, Kamal and Rajkumar from Chennai, approached the gang on a bike for the transaction. While the police managed to arrest the gang, the two bikers absconded.
Police registered a case and arrested Dharmalingam, his son Venkatesan, Arul Murugan, Sathyaraj, and Suresh. They also recovered 40 grams of fake gold coins and seized the SUV. Further investigation is on and a search is on for the two people who absconded.
Dharmalingam had previously claimed to a potential buyer that he recovered treasures while digging wells and had sold them to others. He was attempting to sell gold coins worth Rs 4 lakh to a potential buyer. However, the buyer alerted the police, which followed Dharmalingam's arrest.
Talking about Dharmalingam's modus operandi, police said that he would initially offer a genuine gold coin to the potential buyer as a sample. Once the buyer inspected it and agreed to the deal, he would sell fake coins to them.