Tamil Nadu: 35k kg PDS rice seized,4 smugglers apprehended

The civil supplies CID on Monday night seized 34,700 kilograms of subsidised rice meant for public distribution. The consignment was caught on the Chennai-Bengaluru highway near Thiruvalam.

Police apprehended Shanmugam, 52, of Gingee, Mohan, 45, the driver, Shankar, 45, the owner of the truck, and Harikrishnan, 46, the truck cleaner. During investigation, police found that the PDS rice was sourced from different locations, including Madurantakam, Cheyyur, and Chennai suburban areas. The gang was planning to smuggle it to Bangarupet, Karnataka.

The mastermind behind the smuggling, Shanmugam, is a previous offender in PDS rice smuggling. Police have registered a case under Essential Commodities Act, and an investigation is on to nab the suspects involved in the smuggling operation.

This article has been republished from The Times of India.