THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Conmen go to any extent to cover up their crime. Maybe this trick, which you are about to read might have been only done by this person residing in Puthanvila House in Nalanchira, Thiruvananthapuram-Joy Thomas (48). However, he has been finally caught after using the guise of a police SI.

The car driven by Joy hit another car in Aristo Junction which proved to be the key. Joy Thomas was using a car from an online taxi service in the guise of a SI from the State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB) in Pattom. Following the accident, the owners of the cars went to the station for GD entry. The police asked who drove the car, for which the owner replied that it was a SI from SCRB. The police got suspicious that a police officer is frequently using a taxi from an online taxi service. They found out that there is no such person by that name in SCRB. The Thampanoor police then tracked Joy’s mobile and nabbed him near Attukal Temple. On contacting Mannanthala police, it became clear that he was an accused in several cheating cases.

Joy has been on a joy ride in different names and profession. He has scammed many by offering jobs at excise, customs, police and railway departments. Joy is an expert at conning people verbally and he dresses up like officers. After acquiring the phone numbers of victims, he cons them into his trap by sending frequent messages.

The police were in search of Joy on a complaint of scam where Chadiyara native Saraladevi was conned Rs 36,000 by him for a job in Thiruvananthapuram Airport. Posing as a customs officer, he asked for more money but Saraladevi said that it will be only given after securing the job. Joy went missing without notice after this. After understanding that the victims will come searching for him, Joy hanged his garlanded photo in the hall of his house, and left the place.

After this, many thought that he died.

Years back, Joy’s wife and children left him after he was arrested in a cheating case. Then he started staying with a woman from Tirunelveli in the guise of secretariat assistant. But she also dumped him after his schemes came into light. As he was in a squabble with neighbours, no one knew much about him.

After the police inspected his house, fake IDs, police uniform, name board, TTR uniform, IPC-CRPF law books, service book, seals and job applications of several people were found. Following the arrest of Joy, the police said that many are lodging petitions against him. Mannanthala police said that further investigation will be done in relation to service book and seals that were found.