The police on Friday morning seized as many as 34 tonnes of PDS (public distribution system) rice and two lorries carrying them at Penumuru Cross, when the consignment was on its way to Bengaluru.
Seven persons, including three from SPSR Nellore district and four from Chittoor district, were taken into custody.
Additional Superintendent of Police (Special Enforcement Bureau) Y. Rishant Reddy told mediapersons here that during the last couple of months, there had been a rise in the smuggling of PDS rice to the neighbouring States, following which special parties were formed to tackle the problem.
Superintendent of Police S. Senthil Kumar, who had received information about the movement of rice-laden lorries towards Bengaluru, alerted the SEB officials and the police parties at Chittoor Taluq and NR Peta stations. A special party rushed to Penumuru Cross and intercepted the vehicles, seizing the rice bags and taking four persons into custody. On interrogation, three others were also taken into custody. A police team reached Tirupati and seized rice bags at a godown being run without permission.
The Additional SP said that one of the accused, Mahesh Reddy (29) from Nellore, formed a gang with six others to collect the PDS rice from villages and dispose of the stocks in bulk to customers in Bengaluru at a lucrative price. He said that criminal cases would also be booked against those who were purchasing the smuggled rice in Bengaluru.
The Chittoor police had earlier on December 9 led a raid on a hideout at Tada in SPSR Nellore district and seized seven vehicles and over one hundred tonnes of PDS rice all amounting over ₹1 crore, besides arresting seven persons.
