Police have arrested three people for smuggling ration rice from Karuppur near Omalur to Bangalore. Rice was confiscated from them.
The Food Smuggling Prevention Unit has received information that ration rice is being smuggled from Karuppur and its environs near Omalur in Salem district. Following this, the police conducted a vehicle search in the old colony area of Vellakkalpatti near Karuppur. They stopped a van that came through and interrogated the occupants of the van. It was then revealed that they were Ramajayam from Saminayakkanpatti near Omalur and Deepanraj and Sudarshan from Salem Udayapatti. Also, a search of the van revealed that it contained a bundle of 2 tonnes of ration rice and an attempt to smuggle it.
Police arrested the three and confiscated the ration rice and the van. According to the police, ration rice was being bought at low prices in several places including Omalur, Divattipatti and Karuppur and smuggled to Bangalore. Also, it was revealed that some bundles of racun rice were stored in a godown near Vellakkalpatti.
They said intensive surveillance would be carried out in Omalur, Kadayampatti, Tharamangalam and Karuppur areas following the seizure of rice at one place. The Omalur District Distribution Officer and officials are also investigating the smuggling of ration rice. This will be monitored by the ration shop staff.