An alert shopkeeper foiled an attempt to rob a jewellery shop when he warned its owners of a trench that was being dug to gain entry.
The three-foot deep trench was adjoining the wall of the shop on an open land on Tondiarpet Main Road in Kodungaiyur.
S. Paramasivam, (45), the owner of a watch shop on the Tondiarpet Main Road, had gone behind his shop when he saw the three-foot deep trench, covered with straw and sand.
He immedieately alerted the owners of the shop K. Sandeep (30) and his brother, K. Adarsh (30). The duo rushed to the spot and realised that the trench was dug close to that part of the jewellery shop where main gold locker was located.
Senior police officers, led by additional deputy commissioner of police (Pulianthope), S.Jayakumar, inspected the spot and an investigation is underway. “The miscreants are likely to have monitored the working of the shop and location of the locker(s) for quite some time before they dug up the trench. We are investigating the case,” said a police officer. At least ten kg of gold was on the premises of the shop, said police.
“The miscreants were able to lay the tunnel without anyone noticing as the piece of land was behind a series of shops along the Main Road,” said a police officer.
At least half-a-dozen jewellery shops are located on the six-km-long Tondiarpet Main Road, which connects Moolakadai and Tondiarpet. Police said a similar incident occurred a few months ago when a tunnel was laid next to a jewellery shop in the area.
20 gold rings and a dozen gold chains were stolen in the incident.