Kollam: A couple that posed as officials with the geology department to swindle Rs 5 lakh from a quarry owner was tracked down by the city cyber police from Kozhikode.

Rahul, a native of Anavur in Thiruvananthapuram and his partner Neethu Paul, of Chelavoor in Kozhikode, were arrested on Wednesday.

According to the police, Rahul, a B.Tech graduate, and Neethu, who studied MSc, told a quarry owner that they would help him restart operations by renewing the license.

He handed over the amount at Kottiyam. However, the couple went off the radar soon after and the quarry owner approached the police.

The phone number used by the accused to communicate on WhatsApp was registered in the name of a homeless man living on the premises of the Medical College Hospital and Thiruvananthapuram.

The accused used the homeless man's Aadhaar number -- which he secured after convincing him that his mother was admitted to the hospital and he lost his belongings -- to get a fresh SIM card.

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