Cops plan to attach rice smugglers property

CHENNAI: In an attempt to curb the smuggling of PDS rice, K Radhakrishnan, Additional Director General of Police, Civil Supplies CID, has decided to attach the ill-gotten wealth of rice smugglers in the cases against them.Speaking to Express, Radhakrishnan said that within the last month and a half, he had booked 2,303 cases against persons involved in the smuggling of PDS rice, kerosene, gas cylinders. Further 34 of the most notorious smugglers involved in interstate smuggling cases had been booked under the Black Marketeers Act, which is similar to the Goondas Act.“Most of these smugglers amass wealth using the money they earn from smuggling. So we have decided to attach the property they purchased from the smuggling money in the case,” said the ADGP.This is a first-of-its-kind initiative undertaken by the Civil Supplies CID to prevent rice pilferage and smuggling. Between June 13 and July 3, the wing had booked 2,303 cases including 1,175 cases against people who attempted to smuggle PDS rice.  The police seized 6,646 quintals of rice.  As many as 434 cases were booked against people who tried to smuggle kerosene and 20,976 litres of kerosene were seized. Similarly, 603 cases were booked against those trying to smuggle gas cylinders and 737 cylinders were seized.