Two persons, accused of snatching smuggled gold in Chackai, arrested by police

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Pettah police have arrested two Kollam natives accused of snatching gold from a person, who came from the Middle East, after attacking him in Chackai. The arrested have been identified as Mohammad Shahid (28) and Syedali (28) from Pallimukku, Kollam.

The said incident took place on February 5 when gold brought by Kollam native Mohammad Shameem from abroad was snatched at Chackai. The complaint was that 10 sovereign gold chain was stolen, but according to the information by police, 1 kg of gold smuggled from the Middle East was stolen. Shameem's initial statement to the police was that the gang stole the gold necklace he had brought for his friend. But during the investigation, it was revealed that Shameem had brought 1 kg of gold for the Koduvalli natives belonging to the gold smuggling lobby.

It has also been found that the gold was handed over to Mohammad Shahid and Syedali, natives of Kollam. When the Koduvalli group came to receive the gold, there was a dispute at the petrol pump in Chaka. Then the police intervened in the problem and took them into custody and further details came out during the investigation. Mohammad Shahid is an accused in a murder case in Eravipuram.

This practice of stealing gold brought from abroad by another group is called 'swarnam pottikkal'. There have been similar incidents at Kozhikode and Kochi airports in the past. The accused were arrested by Pettah CI Prakash Yohannan and his team. Both were remanded.