Wayanad police have arrested two persons in connection with the robbery of gold ornaments and cash from a man, allegedly after spraying pepper spray on his face at Meenangadi on Thursday.

The arrested persons were Thazhekuniyil Ranjith M K, 32, a native of Thalassery, and Saurav Sunil, 26, a native of Uruvachal near Mattannur, police said, adding that more than 10 persons were involved in the robbery. Efforts were on to identify and arrest the remaining suspects.

The incident occurred while Jafar, a native of Koduvalli in Kozhikode district, was travelling from Begur to Koduvalli. According to police, the accused, travelling in two cars, intercepted Jafar's vehicle near the Milma chilling plant at Meenangadi. They then sprayed pepper spray directly into Jafar's face before taking away his vehicle. They fled the spot after forcibly taking ₹21,000 in cash and gold ornaments from him, police said.

During the investigation, police found that the registration number plates displayed on both vehicles used by the suspects were fake, making it difficult to immediately trace them. They intensified surveillance along inter-State borders, including the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, and alerted the public and police stations in the border areas.

Despite the heightened vigilance, the suspects managed to evade the police net and continued towards Kannur district. The getaway, however, came to an unexpected halt when local residents at Neendunokki near Kottiyoor noticed the two vehicles being driven in a suspicious manner and attempted to block them.

The suspects allegedly tried to flee after the residents intervened. The local people then chased the vehicles, eventually managing to stop them and apprehend two of the suspects. They were handed over to the police, who are now questioning them.