<![CDATA[Trichy: Police have seized three panchaloha idols - one Ganesh and two Goddess worth lakhs of rupees and arrested five persons on Sunday night. Based on a tip-off, a police team comprising DSP Ganesamoorthi and inspectors Mahadevan, Rameshkumar, Ramamoorthi and Rekarani launched a vehicle check around Kumbakonam on Sunday night. The team intercepted the car coming near Koranattukaruppur road on Chennai - Kumbakonam highway proceeding towards Kumbakonam. The five people travelling on the car had told that they were coming from Jayankondam in Ariyalur district. When the police team conducted a search in the car, three metal idols concealed inside the car were found. The three were Ganesh and two goddess idols each with a height of one-and-a-half feet. Subsequently police recovered the idols and seized the car in which the miscreants travelled. According to the police, the three idols were panchaloha. During interrogation, the accused were identified as Kumar and Mani from Trichy, Mani from Devakottai in Sivagangai, Mano from Ariyalur and Visvasundaram from Cuddalore. Police arrested all the five and are investigating whether there are involved with international idol smugglers.]]>
