Chennai: Luck ran out for a conmen duo that was on a stealing spree in southern suburbs after they made way with Rs 2.55 lakh belonging to the traders’ association in Alandur in October last year.
Traders who lost the money had mounted a vigil and managed to nab the duo with the help of the vehicle registration number before the cops got to the conmen, on Thursday.
The money was withdrawn from a bank in Alandur by Kuppan, (40), a staff member of the traders association, and was taking it to the association. The duo broke open the glove cabinet and stole the money in the brief period when Kuppan went to recharge his mobile on Brindhavan Nagar main road.
Following the incident, the trade bodies gathered footage from the bank to the point where the incident occurred as they were also part of the video surveillance network installed in that locality to help the cops to prevent crime.
They flagged the two-wheeler which was following Kuppan in a suspicious manner and they managed to pull up the registration number as well with the assistance from the cops.
The trader bodies in Alandur and Adambakkam had widely circulated the registration number of the two-wheeler used by the conmen. With the registration number, the members had been scouting the locality for the vehicle ever since they got the registration number of the vehicle.
On Thursday afternoon, the traders spotted the vehicle in the lane opposite to Adambakkam police station where they had, in fact, lodged the complaint with regard to their loss in October last.
The traders intercepted the vehicle and the duo that was riding the bike abandoned the vehicle and took to their heels. The traders nabbed them after a short chase. Asked as to why they ran on being intercepted, the duo replied in unison that they mistook the traders for cops. The traders wondered as to why the duo should be afraid of the cops.
The traders thrashed the duo who then confessed to have decamped with the money. They were handed over to Adambakkam police. The duo was identified as Devaraj, (30), of Villivakkam, and Babu, (30), of Kovilambakkam.
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