400-year-old antique idol worth Rs 2 crore recovered in Tamil Nadu, 4 held

New Delhi: In a major operation, Tamil Nadu police team on Friday recovered a 400 year-old antique idol and nabbed the idol smugglers who were apparently trying to sell the idol for over Rs 2 crore. The antique idol is of a royal lady belonging to the Sethupathy clan.

The idol smugglers were apprehended at the Trichy-Madurai highway while they were striking a deal with the prospective buyers. A total of 4 suspects have been nabbed by the police in connection with the crime.
The idol wing of Tamil Nadu police, getting a whiff of this transaction, hatched a plan to make them fall in a trap.

Some of the staffers in Tamil Nadu Idol wing disguised some of the staff as rich buyers and then approached the sellers. They approached the idol sellers, got on friendly terms with them and when they got a hint of idol owner, swooped down on them.

The secret plan to apprehend the idol smugglers was devised by highest officials of the department including DGP Idol Wing K Jayanth Murali, Inspector General of Police, Idol Wing Dinakaran, and Superintendent of Police, Idol wing reported a leading portal.

The cops also negotiated to purchase the idols for over Rs crore and had even offered money to get a glimpse of the idol.

The suspects named Mustafa, Arumugaraj and Kumaravel were captured by the police. Later, the it was found that they had secured the idol from a man named Selvakumar of Sivagangai district.