Two men held for smuggling PDS rice to AP

TIRUVALLUR: The Civil Supplies CID officials along with the railway police arrested two people who tried to smuggle ration rice from Tamil Nadu to Andhra Pradesh in Gummidipoondi on Tuesday.

On instructions from the Superintendent of police, civil supply, CID, to curb rampant smuggling of ration rice from Tamil Nadu to neighbouring states, a special team along with the railway police conducted surprise raids at Gummidipoondi railway station on Tuesday.

“In the raid, we found 70 sacks filled with ration rice that is distributed through the PDS system for people below the poverty line. We seized almost 3,500 kg of rice from two accused,” police said.

The accused were identified as Ezhumalai (54), from Gummidipoondi and Mathivannan (55), from Madurai who were arrested and remanded to judicial custody. The seized sacks of rice were sent for storage to the Tiruvallur PDS godown.