Two held for posing as GST officials, stealing parcels

Chennai: Two people, including a courier company employee, were arrested on Saturday for impersonating GST officials and stealing gold jewellery parcels containing approximately 1.5kg worth 2.4 crore early this month.

The arrests were made based on a complaint from V Ravalsingh, 30, who runs a private courier company on Periyanayakan Street in Sowcarpet. On Feb 6, he instructed two employees—Govaram, who works at his courier firm, and Jitender Kumar, an employee of another courier company operating in the same building—to collect parcels containing around 1.5kg of gold jewellery from the cargo terminal at Meenambakkam airport.

The duo left on a two-wheeler to pick up the consignments but did not return for several hours, and their mobile phones were switched off. Later in the afternoon, Govaram called Ravalsingh from an auto driver's phone and said two unidentified persons, who identified themselves as GST officials from Chengalpet, intercepted them near the Guindy flyover, seized the parcels and their mobile phones. The officials then forced them into an auto, and later dropped them near Perungalathur.

Based on Ravalsingh's complaint, the Guindy police registered a case and launched an investigation. However, police became suspicious after questioning the two employees separately, as they gave different versions. While Jitender said the GST officials appeared to be Tamilians, Govaram said they looked like North Indians.

Further probe revealed Jitender Kumar called his associates from Rajasthan, who staged the robbery.

Govaram was not aware of this. The police arrested Jitender Kumar, 31, and Dhanraj Sharma, 30.

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