KOCHI
: Perumbavoor police sought the custody of the two accused, including a woman, who duped a businessman of Rs 46 lakh after blackmailing him. Police suspect that more persons are part of the racket that lure people into honeytrap and later blackmail them demanding huge amounts of money. The accused, Seema (32) of Chalakkudy and Sahal alias Shahin (31) of Edapally, were remanded by the court on Tuesday. The police submitted the custody application before the court on Wednesday.
Seema and Sahal duped the complainant of Rs 46 lakh after threatening him of exposing photographs of his private moments and Facebook chat with Seema. The duo was arrested based on a complaint the rural police chief received four days ago.
Police sources said that though the whole sum was paid directly through bank transactions, police is yet to recover the money as the account only had the minimum balance. “The amount was given in instalments. We are yet to recover the money. The others involved in the gang might have taken the money,” said a police officer.
Police are also checking the mobile phones and laptops seized from the accused.
Two held with ganjaKochi: The excise officer of Tripunithura excise range on Wednesday arrested two men after seizing 3kg of ganja from them. The accused were identified as Mohammed Rafeeq (34) and Anshad (36), both of Pattambi in Palakkad. According to the officials, the duo was caught while smuggling ganja from
Tamil Nadu to Ernakulam by train.
The accused were nabbed from the bus stop near
Tripunithura railway station
by a team led by excise range inspector Biju Varghese around noon. “They had been under surveillance of excise for over a month after a tip-off was received about their involvement in interstate ganja smuggling. The information was gathered from the retail sellers of ganja in the area to whom the duo supplied the contraband. The ganja seized from them were kept in bundles and wrapped in clothes,” said an officer. A case has been registered against the duo invoking various Sections of the NDPS Act. The accused were presented in the court and remanded.
Over the past one month, around 15 persons were arrested in the range in connection with ganja sale. The officers said that Tripunithura railway station is used by the peddlers to bring in ganja from other states.