Latest news with #CS-CID
The Hindu
3 days ago
- The Hindu
CS-CID arrests 261 people in seven months for PDS rice smuggling in Salem
The Salem Civil Supplies-Criminal Investigation Department (CS-CID) police have arrested 261 people in connection with smuggling of public distribution system (PDS) rice in the last seven months in the district. Salem district has 1,737 fair-price shops, including 1,264 full-time shops and 473 part-time shops. Rice is distributed free of cost to ration card holders, ranging from five kg to 35 kg a card, every month. Likewise, other essential commodities are also given. From January 1, 2025, to July 31, 2025, the Salem CS-CID police has registered a total of 246 cases, including 218 cases related to PDS rice smuggling. The police seized 79.80 tonnes of PDS rice and 101 LPG cylinders from the offenders. They also arrested 261 people in connection with these cases and detained four under the Black Marketing Act. The police also seized 62 vehicles from the offenders, including 44 two-wheelers, one three-wheeler, and 17 four-wheelers. Likewise, after various legal processes, 179 vehicles, including 97 two-wheelers, nine three-wheelers, and 73 four-wheelers, were released in the seven months. The officials attached to the CS-CID said that people shall provide information regarding the illegal transport and hoarding of essential commodities through toll-free number 1800-599-5950. The information will be kept confidential and immediate action will be taken against the offenders, officials added.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- The Hindu
Biggest haul of ration rice in T.N. for 2025 made in Madurai
In the biggest haul of ration rice in the State in 2025, Madurai unit of Civil Supplies -Crime Investigation Department seized around 55 tonnes of ration rice illegally hoarded in a godown here. The seizure made last week has blown the lid off an organised gang operating in different districts for collecting PDS rice and sell it as cattle/poultry feed. The sleuths also seized four cargo vehicles, including three trucks and a pickup van, and arrested six persons from Madurai, Kumbakonam and Kovilpatti. Based on a specific input received by its Superintendent of Police R. Srinivasa Perumal, a team of sleuths, including its Deputy Superintendent of Police and Inspector, rushed to the godown, functioning along a rice mill, and found several workers loading bags of rice in different cargo vehicles. 'Our officials alerted the Civil Supplies Flying Squad who inspected the site and confirmed that the goods belonged to public distribution system (PDS),' said Mr. Srinivasa Perumal. The officials found that a total of 3,600 kg of PDS rice and also 51,300 kg of broken PDS rice stocked in the godown and also loaded in the vehicles. The CS-CID officials arrested V. Meenakshi Sundaram, 35, of Madurai, who has been identified as the rice mill owner and vehicle owner and his partner C. Muthukannan, 26. Besides, a rice collector A. Ramamoorthi of Kovilpatti and three drivers were arrested and sent to remand. Investigation revealed that different districts have got different gangs that have been collecting PDS rice from the beneficiaries and stock them in different places before moving them in bulk quantity to the end user. 'We got the tip-off at the right time when the gang was trying to load them into vehicles for taking them to Dharapuram in Namakkal district,' the SP said. He suspected that the huge quantity of PDS rice could have been collected over a period of one month. 'In order to hoodwink the flying squads and CS-CID teams, the gang has turned the rice into broken rice,' Mr. Srinivasa Perumal said. He said that the CS-CID Inspector General of Police Rupesh Kumar Meena had instructed to prevent smuggling of ration rice in order to ensure that the free rice distributed through ration shops reached the targeted beneficiaries. 'The Government spends huge subsidy towards free distribution of ration rice with the intention that the poorest of the poor should get free rice so that there is no hunger,' the SP said. However, the middlemen entice the poor people with paltry sum of money and deprive them of rice, thereby forcing the beneficiaries to pay more for buying rice from open market for the family. The gang has a network of poultry units that buy the ration rice for as high as ₹23 per kg to feed the birds. The accused were booked under Tamil Nadu Scheduled Commodities (Regulation of Distribution by Card System) Order, 1982, and under Essential Commodities Act, 1955. The SP said that hunt for few more accused was under way. He warned that such accused could get a maximum punishment of 7 years of jail and repeat offenders could be detained under the Goondas Act. CS-CID could be alerted about smuggling of ration goods over toll-free number of 18005995950.
The Hindu
03-08-2025
- The Hindu
Civil Supplies CID books over 1,000 cases of smuggling of PDS items in seven months
The Civil Supplies Crime Investigation Department, Tiruchi Zone, which is engaged in prevention of smuggling and hoarding of Public Distribution System items has registered 1,141 cases from January to July this year. The Tiruchi zone encompasses nine districts: Tiruchi, Pudukottai, Karur, Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Perambalur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, and Mayiladuthurai. Personnel of the Civil Supplies CID had seized 215 tonnes of PDS rice, 599 kg of wheat, 194 kg of dal and 83 domestic LPG cylinders during this period. The total value of the goods seized had been put at ₹12.89 lakh. A total number of 1,179 persons who were involved in these crimes were arrested and 127 vehicles used for smuggling were confiscated. Four offenders had been detained under the Prevention of Black Marketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act, 1980. The officers of the Civil Supplies Crime Investigation Department are conducting regular patrols and engaged in the prevention of smuggling and hoarding of PDS items. Cases have been registered under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, against those involved in smuggling and hoarding of essential commodities and their accomplices, a press release from the CS-CID said.
The Hindu
06-07-2025
- The Hindu
One arrested for smuggling PDS rice near Tiruchi
An illegal smuggling racket involving Public Distribution System (PDS) rice was busted here in an operation led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Vincent, along with Inspector Ramkumar, sub-inspector, and a team of police personnel from the Civil Supplies Criminal Investigation Department (CS-CID). Acting on a tip-off, the team conducted patrols across Manapparai, Puthanatham, and Thuvarankurichi areas. Based on the intelligence received, they intercepted a vehicle near Thettur division road and seized 21 bags — amounting to 1,075 kg. — of ration rice being transported illegally. The arrested individual was identified as T. Pandi Selvam, a resident of Otha Kovilpatti in Melur, Madurai. The rice was allegedly being smuggled for sale in the black market. Police also seized a two-wheeler which was used for the transportation. The accused was arrested and lodged in Central Prison.
The Hindu
21-06-2025
- The Hindu
56 people detained under Goondas Act for PDS rice smuggling in Tamil Nadu, says IG
Inspector General of Police (IG) for Civil Supplies CID (CS-CID), Rubesh Kumar Meena, said that in the past five months, 56 people, who were arrested for Public Distribution System (PDS) rice smuggling, were detained under the provisions of the Goondas Act in the State. The IG inspected the CS-CID office at Keerambur in Namakkal district on Saturday. Later, Mr. Rubesh told reporters that to prevent crimes related to civil supplies, inspections were being carried out in four zones in the State. Already, inspections had been carried out in Tiruchi, Ariyalur, Perambalur, and Karur districts. In the past five months, 878 metric tonnes of PDS rice worth ₹1.06 crore were seized from smugglers. A total of 5,120 cases were registered and 4,608 people were arrested. From the offenders, 1,099 vehicles, including 434 four-wheelers, were seized. As PDS rice was smuggled across inter-State borders, monitoring increased in the border districts near Kerala and Karnataka. Stern action would be taken if PDS rice was used for feeding chickens in poultry farms, the IG warned.
