The idol wing police arrested a BJP functionary and three others, including two policemen, on the charge of smuggling idols and seized seven idols from them in Ramanathapuram on Wednesday.
A police team nabbed a few suspects and found that a gang had planned to smuggle the idols. It had almost fixed a “deal” worth a few crore rupees and was about to despatch the idols from Ramanathapuram.
A senior police officer said Alexandar, 52, of Mudukalathur, who is the BJP minority wing district secretary, was entrusted with the task of selling the idols. Based on the confession of the suspects, the police arrested Illankumaran, 44, a policeman at Aruppukottai in Virudhunagar district, and his accomplice Karuppasami, 35, of Virudhunagar.
It is said that about four years ago, Illankumaran, along with Naga Narendran of the Armed Reserve Police, Dindigul, and Ganesan of Thiruthangal in Virudhunagar district, had learnt that seven idols were in the custody of a gang at Edappadi in Salem district.
Posing themselves as members of the idol wing police, Illankumaran and others went to Edappadi, took away the idols and handed them to Alexander, who identified buyers. The price, it is said, was fixed at ₹5 crore. When the gang was about to clinch a deal, the police busted it, the senior officer said.
He said Alexander, Ilankumaran, Naga Narendran and Karuppasami were arrested and the police were on the lookout for two more suspects.
Investigating officers said they were planning to seek the help of experts who could identify the temples from where the idols were stolen.
