CHANDIGARH: Continuing their crackdown against smuggling of paddy from other states, Punjab police have registered at least eight FIRs against 16 persons for attempting to sell their produce in the state since the paddy procurement commenced on October 3.
So far, eight persons have been arrested and 7,260 quintals of paddy or rice seized, besides impounding of seven vehicles in different districts like Mansa, Patiala, Kapurthala, Tarn Taran and Sangrur, said officiating DGP Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota.
Sahota said there were reports that some unscrupulous elements were bringing paddy procured at low rates from other states to sell in Punjab for unauthorised storage and selling at minimum support price (MSP) which could lead to malpractices like bogus billing.
The officiating DGP said as many as 94 inter-state nakas had been set-up and police teams deployed to keep vigil and prevent any illegal arrival of the paddy in the state. During the special checking, over 1,500 vehicles, including trucks, were flagged down by the police teams across the state.
