VELLORE: Vellore Bagayam police retrieved 40 stolen goats from Gudiyattam after their owner, a native of the Thoothukudi district registered a complaint, on Wednesday.

Perumal (65) of Kayathar in Thoothukudi district reared goats for a living and sold them through social media groups.

Recently he received a phone call from a woman, who claimed to be calling from Ambur, and wanted 40 goats for the local mosque. Believing her, Perumal loaded 40 goats on to a minivan and reached Kattupadi near Bagayam in Vellore.

The woman promised to pay him at Ambur after weighing the animals. The woman told him that her representative would meet him.

Soon a man identifying himself Irfan arrived with a mini lorry, transferred the goats and asked Perumal to follow him to Ambur for payment.

Irfan on his two-wheeler guided Perumal to Ambur. When they neared a mosque at Ambur, Irfan told Perumal to wait while he went to fetch the cash. However, Irfan failed to return, and Perumal went to the mosque to check on him and found he was duped.

Getting suspicious, he rushed back to Kattupadi to find the goats missing. He complained to Bagayam police who through CCTV footage found the van with goats at Gudiyattam.

The goats valued at Rs 5 lakh were recovered and inquiries with the van driver revealed that he was asked by Irfan to bring the goats to Gudiyattam, but couldn’t contact him after reaching.

Police are now searching for Irfan, who is still missing.