A fugitive police officer has been arrested in Tamil Nadu in connection with an antique smuggling case by a special team of the Idol Wing CID.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Khader Basha, who was on the run since February, was arrested on Wednesday night on the charge of committing armed robbery of antique idols near Aruppukottai in the Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu in 2008.

The Tiruvallur district DSP, who was apprehended at Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district, was produced before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court at Kumbakonam and remanded in judicial custody. He was later lodged in the Tiruchi Central Prison.

Sources said the DSP was allegedly involved in the robbery of three idols near Aruppukottai. The idols were later sold abroad for which he allegedly received hefty sums of money.

In order to expedite the case relating to smuggling of antique idols, Inspector General (IG) of Police, Railway A G Ponn Manickavel was entrusted with the probe in pending cases of temple idol thefts by an order of the Madras High Court to the state government in July.

But only on Saturday the state government, following censure of the Madras High Court, issued orders entrusting Manickavel with additional charge as IG of CB-CID Idol Wing to probe the cases.

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