Chennai, Aug 12 (ANI): Sleuths of the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Tamil Nadu Police have recovered two antique metal idols from two smugglers.
Acting on a tip-off, a team headed by Deputy Superintendent of Police (SP) S. Selvaraj and Inspector M. Ravi intercepted the smugglers and arrested them.
The detained have been identified as Kannadasan and Pandi, and they hail from Panikkanendhal village in Manamadurai district.
Additional Director General (ADG) of Police, I. Raja, who heads the state CID, on Thursday told mediapersons that the idols recovered from the smugglers are worth a million rupees in the international market of antiques.
"They (smugglers) were suspiciously dealing some transaction with others. So, we caught hold of them, we found out these idols belong to these temples, temple property. And both the idols are worth rupees 10 lakh or more," he said.
One of the idols weighing 22 kilograms and two feet in height was of Hindu deity Subramanya Swami, while the other was an idol of Palani Aandavar that weighed eight kilograms and measured a foot in height.
Further investigation is in progress to ascertain the identities of the prospective receivers and thus unearth the racket of clandestine antique trade.
Reportedly, the detained smugglers had stolen both idols from the Annadhana Pillaiyar Temple in Manamadurai district. (ANI)
|
|
Comments:
