A 68-year-old man in the city was today arrested on charges of cheating five youths, promising jobs abroad for which he collected huge amounts.

Based on a complaint of the youths, the City Crime Branch investigated the matter and took Venkatachalam of Kovaipudur into custody. Interrogation revealed that Venkatachalam took Rs 1.6 lakh each from them and failed to provide jobs.

He was introduced to them by a woman in Tiruchirapalli, claiming that they had worked in Singapore and knew a travel agency in Chennai, police said.

When Venkatachalam started threatening them if they asked about the job or sought refund, the youths – Charles, Ganesh, Karthik, Arogyaaj and Murugan – filed a complaint with the Crime Branch, police said.

Venkatachalam, against whom three cases are pending in different police stations in the city, has been lodged in the Central jail after producing before a court, they added.