KATHMANDU: Two persons have been arrested on charge of defrauding a man of Rs 5,50,000 by selling fake gold.

Identified as Laxmi Tamang aka Laxmi Lama of Kanpur, Kavre district, the 29-year-old suspect had first approached the victim, Laxman Khadka of Koteshwar, last month over phone and befriended him, according to police.

In their second meeting, the woman lured him into temptation by saying that she possessed some gold which she would sell in cheap price of Rs 25,000 per tola as she did not have a purchase receipt.

To win the potential buyer's trust, she cut one of the two gold biscuits and gave a piece of it to Khadka, who went to a jewellery shop to confirm that it was precious metal.

Khadka then bought the metal at Rs 5,50,000, only to realise that he was hoodwinked and what he bought was not gold. He resorted to Metropolitan Police Crime Division and lodged a complaint against the woman.

Based on a mobile number and description of the suspect, provided by the victim, a team deployed from the MPCD got hold of Tamang along with a man, identified as Karna Dhwaj Limbu, who was also involved in the scam, the MPCD said.

Limbu, aged 42, hails from Phakumbu of Taplejung and currently resides at Ghattekulo of Kathmandu, according to police.

According to preliminary investigation, the suspects had shared the money that they got from Khadka and Lama deposited Rs 3,00,000 at her account in the Apex Development Bank.

The duo reportedly have told police that one more person was involved in the scam.

The duo have been sent to the Metropolitan Police Range, Kathmandu for further investigation and legal action.