Civil Supplies officials conducted a raid and seized 90 bags of ration rice weighing 50 kg which were stored in a fish farm in Annampalayam in Coimbatore.
Coimbatore: Illegal smuggling of ration rice from Tamil Nadu to neighbouring states, especially Kerala, has been on the rise.
Since ration rice is available free of cost and at a lower price in Tamil Nadu, some miscreants procure rice in Coimbatore and smuggle it to neighbouring states to make quick profit.
In order to prevent smuggling of ration rice, officials of the Civil Supplies Intelligence Department are conducting a massive vehicle audit and a series of searches at suspicious locations across Coimbatore.
Accordingly, during one such in Coimbatore, the Civil Supplies officials found a bundle of ration rice stored in a shed at a fish farm in Annampalayam area of Coimbatore.
During the search, it was found that 90 bags of ration rice weighing 50 kg were stored. Around 4.5 tonnes of rice was seized while the vehicle used for smuggling rice was also seized.
At that time, when Civil Supplies officials interrogated Marimuthu, who was present there at the raid spot. It was revealed learnt that Marimuthu had been smuggling and selling ration rice to other states, including Kerala. Following this, the authorities arrested Marimuthu.
Officials are also on the lookout for four persons including Sakthi Perumal, Chokkalingam, Karuppu and Durai who were involved in the smuggling of rice. The officials have warned that strict action will be taken against those who illegally smuggle ration rice from Tamil Nadu and transport it to other states.