The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : NRI from Malaysia arrested, jewels, cellphones recovered

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Nov 08, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

NRI from Malaysia arrested, jewels, cellphones recovered

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, NOV. 7. A 64-year-old non-resident Indian from Malaysia and his associate from Kumbakonam were arrested by Abhiramapuram police for allegedly using fake credit cards.

Police seized gold jewellery, cellphones and dress materials purchased by the arrested person, using the fake credit cards.

"We suspect that a bigger network in Malaysia is involved in manufacturing fake credit cards," said K. P. Shanmuga Rajeswaran, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mylapore. With the arrest, police hope to nab the others involved in racket, he said.

According to the police, M. Thangavel came to city from Malaysia in September and visited his native place, Mayiladuthurai. During his next visit to the city, accompanied by Saravanakumar of Kumbakonam in the third week of October, he used one of the fake credit cards to buy more than 10 sovereigns of gold from a jewellery shop in T. Nagar.

Shopping spree

Again on November 1, he purchased dresses worth Rs 15,000 from a textile showroom in T. Nagar. He shopped at another store the next day too. The same day in the evening he visited a cellphone showroom and purchased phones worth Rs 50,000.

Thangavel's luck ran out at a leading cellphone showroom at Alwarpet where the credit card he presented raised suspicion among the employees. Even while the staff were verifying it, he gave them the slip taking with him a cellphone. Following this, the agency filed a complaint with Abhiramapuram police.

Mr Rajeswaran said a special party was formed to track down the offenders, which traced Thangavel and his associate to Abhiramapuram. Employees of the cellphone agency confirmed his identity, following which he was formally arrested.

Thangavel picked up Saravanakumar, a stationery shop employee, when he visited Tiruchi. He was offered money by Thangavelto accompany him to the city for shopping, Mr Rajeswaran said.

Cases under sections 379 (Theft), 419 (Cheating by personation), 420 (Cheating and thereby dishonestly inducing delivery of property, or the making, alteration or destruction of a valuable security) 465 (Forgery) and 471 (Using as genuine a forged document which is known to be forged) of the Indian Penal Code have been registered against the two.

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