Gold Fraud: Kochi Gang Cheats Pawn Shop of Rs 1 Crore With Fake Hallmarked Jewellery!

Police have arrested the main members of a gang that cheated a Kochi firm of nearly Rs 1 crore using fake, hallmarked gold. The gang first pawned real gold to win the staff's trust before pulling off the scam, which was caught during an audit.

Kochi: The Kochi City Police have nabbed the key members of a gang that cheated a prominent private pawn shop in Palarivattom of nearly ₹1 crore. The gang pulled off the massive scam by pawning fake jewellery with hallmark stamps between June 13 and July 27 this year. The arrested men are Vishnu from Kannur's Irikkur, Rahul from Wayanad's Moolankavu, Libin Xavier (34) from Idukki's Maniyarkudi, the scam's mastermind Arshal Ismail (32) from Idukki's Udumpannoor, and Shinoj (42) from Kothamangalam's Pindimana, who made the fake jewellery.

The gang had a clever plan. Vishnu, one of the members, first pawned genuine gold jewellery twice to build trust with the employees. After winning their confidence, he and his partners repeatedly pawned fake, hallmarked gold jewellery to get the cash. The fraud came to light during a routine audit at the firm, which revealed the pawned items were fake. On July 29, when Vishnu and Rahul returned to pawn more fake gold, the staff alerted the Palarivattom police. Acting on the manager's complaint, the police registered a case and arrested the duo the same day.

A deeper, scientific investigation showed that a large network with connections inside and outside Kerala was behind this. Based on this, the police arrested Libin Xavier, who supplied the fake ornaments, from Muvattupuzha. The mastermind, Arshal Ismail, and the goldsmith, Shinoj, who gold-plated the fake items, were caught from their hideouts. Police seized the fake jewellery used in the scam, along with the raw materials for making them. They also recovered mobile phones and SIM cards registered under fake addresses that were used for the crime.

It has also come to light that the gang has cheated several pawn shops and ordinary people across different districts in Kerala using the same method. Vishnu, Libin, and Arshal already have multiple cases registered against them. The special investigation team, which cracked the case with help from the Cyber Cell, was led by Ernakulam ACP K.J. Peter and Palarivattom Inspector Anoop A. The team operated under the guidance of the Kochi City Police Commissioner and Deputy Police Commissioner. Other members included SI Jagish R, Mithun Mohan, ASI Sighosh P.V, and CPOs Anish N.A, Jipinlal, and Akhil Padman. The accused have been produced before the court and remanded to custody.