COIMBATORE: A travels firm owner has been booked by Coimbatore city police for conning a man of Rs 9.5 lakhs by promising to help him get back Rs 30 lakhs worth jewellery seized by the customs department authorities during a check at Coimbatore International Airport.

According to police, Abdul Rahman, 37, a native of Ramanathapuram district and working in a jewel shop in Malaysia, gave jewels worth Rs 30 lakhs to his sister Rejina, while on her return from Malaysia in March this year.

“During a routine check, the customs authorities found her carrying Rs 30 lakhs worth jewels without proper documents and seized them at the Coimbatore International Airport,” police said.

She informed her brother, who reached out to Balakrishnan, a travel firm owner, through a relative. “The accused assured to get back the seized jewellery and demanded payment of Rs 9.5 lakh to recover the jewels from customs authorities. After getting the money, Balakrishnan however failed to either get the jewels or return the money,” police said.