Gold ‘courier’ evades Customs, but kidnapped, abused by gang

CHENNAI: A cab driver who came from Dubai as a ‘Kuruvi’ (courier) allegedly carrying gold concealed in a microwave oven managed to escape the customs watch at Chennai airport, but his decision to keep the gold for himself ended up ugly as he was kidnapped and stripped by a gang who confined him at a lodge in Chennai.

P Anandraj (34), a native of RK Pet in Thiruvallur district went to Dubai in April last year, where he worked as a painter and drove cabs. Anandraj, who was traveling back home was approached by a man in Dubai who told him to handover a microwave oven to persons waiting at Chennai airport and was told that he would be given Rs 10,000 and also his flight expenses.

“On September 7 (Wednesday), soon after clearing the customs, Anandraj called his brother and cousin and planned to keep the gold for themselves,” a police officer said.

Giving a slip to the persons waiting to receive the oven, he and his brothers escaped to a hideout in Adyar and dismantled the oven, but could not find the gold. Later Anandraj left for his home.

On Thursday (Sept 8) morning, five persons who came in a BMW luxury car took Anandraj and asked about the oven.

However, as the coil inside the oven, in which the gold was supposedly concealed was broken and the gold was not to be found, the gang became furious and kidnapped Anandraj, his brothers Micheal Raj and Sam Kumar and confined them at a lodge in Arumbakkam.

The gang assaulted and stripped them completely and also took pictures and videos and kept them as their WhatsApp status for a brief while.

After being alerted by other occupants in the lodge Arumbakkam police rescued them and later arrested five persons identified as P Hidayatullah (40) of Karaikal, who owns a restaurant there.

Other accused were identified as Ravikumar (36), Balagan (29), Dinesh (28) and Ravikumar (25).

Police have informed Chennai customs officials about the incident.