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Man held for smuggling 13 tonnes of PDS rice
The Hindu
Man arrested for smuggling 13 tonnes of PDS rice, seized by police on Chennai-Bengaluru Highway. Case registered, investigation ongoing.
A 43-year-old man was arrested on Thursday for smuggling 13 tonnes of rice meant for the Public Distribution System (PDS) at Udayarpalayam village.
According to police, around 2 a.m, a patrol team led by Inspector S. Venketasan noticed a lorry that was stuck in a slush pit near the Chennai-Bengaluru Highway (NH 44). The driver, G. Pradeep, a native of Gudiyatham town in Vellore, was standing next to the lorry, waiting for an earthmover to lift the vehicle from the pit. When questioned, he gave evasive answers on where he was headed.
The team became suspicious, and checked the lorry. It found 13 tonnes of rice meant for PDS in the vehicle. Senior officials of the Department of Civil Supplies in Tirupattur were apprised of the findings. The lorry was seized, and the consignment of PDS rice was sent to a godown in Kancheepuram. A case has been registered. Pradeep was arrested and lodged at a sub-jail in Tirupattur town, the police added.
A probe is under way.