520 rice smugglers held in last 10 days

CHENNAI: Cracking the whip on PDS rice smuggling, Civil Supplies CID sleuths have arrested more than 520 persons, including four notorious kingpins of the trade, and seized a total of 1,852 quintals of rice and 18 lorries across the State over the past 10 days.In what is seen as a stern message to the ‘black sheep’ in the Civil Supplies CID wing, two inspectors, who allegedly connived with the rice smugglers, were sent back to their parent department, sources said.The intensified drive comes in the wake of a recent high-level meeting, attended by Food Minister ‘Agri’ Krishnamurthy and senior officials, including K Radhakrishnan, ADGP, Civil Supplies CID, which resolved to completely put an end to the smuggling of rice distributed through the public distribution system in Tamil Nadu. “We decided to tighten the screws at all exit points across the State as well as reactivate our organisation to this end,” Radhakrishnan told Express on Tuesday.While the 22 units of Civil Supplies CID sleuths, operating across the State, stepped up vigil at the borders, the State DGP sanctioned six companies of Tamil Nadu Special Police for manning the exit points at Coimbatore, Tirupur, Krishnagiri, Vellore, Tiruvallur and Chennai, he said, adding that the district SPs were also roped in to check vehicular movements.The sustained efforts paid off, when the sleuths unearthed rice smuggling rackets flourishing in four districts and arrested the kingpins, who had been evading the police net for years.Of the quartet, Kumar alias ‘Namakkal’ Kumar alias Ramalingam proved to be the prize catch. Kumar had been smuggling PDS rice to Karnataka for years and four important cases were pending against him at Salem and Erode in this connection. “He had been evading arrest for the last 15 years,” Radhakrishnan said.Arrested and grilled, he confessed to owning six lorries and 10 houses in Namakkal.  Similarly, Hari alias Harikrishnan of Madurai was another notorious kingpin, who had three cases against him for smuggling rice to other states. During inquiry, it came to light that he had three rice mills on benami names. Owner of 10 lorries, which were also operating under benami names, Hari was a vehicle contractor for the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation godown.Nasser alias Syed Nasser of Sathyamangalam in Erode was arrested for smuggling rice to Karnataka and Hakim of Thanjavur was picked up for plying the illegal trade in Pattukkotai.Amassing the rice meant for the marginalised sections of society through local agents, the smugglers took the foodgrains to Karnataka, where they were polished and then sent to Kerala, Radhakrishnan said.All the four men were booked under the Prevention of Black Market and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act, 1980.Reeling out statistics, the senior police official said a total of 523 smugglers were arrested from across the State in the recent drive, 829 cases booked, 1,852 quintals of rice and 18 lorries seized. He indicated that his organisation would intensify efforts to stop smuggling of rice. Steps would also be taken to put an end to smuggling of rice directly from the civil supplies godown to the black market.As part of the measures, sources said, the ‘black sheep’ in the department were being weeded out and personnel with clean record and good reputation inducted into the force.