Police arrested four people, including a woman autorickshaw driver, for smuggling 4,900 kg of ration rice near Karaikudi.
As police were involved in vehicle check in Karaikudi and other nearby areas, they stopped a vehicle in suspicion of smuggling rice.
During the inspection of the goods van which went from Tiruppathur, they found 300 kg of ration rice. They seized the van and the rice, and arrested the driver Nagaraj, 28.
Similarly, they inspected an autorickshaw that was passing by and found 300 kg of ration rice inside. They seized the autorickshaw, rice and caught Revathi, 36.
In another inspection of a van from Kalaiyarkoil, they found 300 kg of ration rice. The driver Chellapandi, 37, was arrested and rice was seized.
In Pallathur area, while checking a courier vehicle from Madurai, police found 4,000 kg of ration rice. The investigation revealed that the courier sticker was a cover for smuggling the rice. Police seized the van and the rice and arrested Santhosh, 19, from Madurai.
Police noted that as there were numerous rice mills operating in the area around Karaikudi, the ration rice that was smuggled from other nearby districts was brought to the mills for polishing to increase its selling value.
Published – September 23, 2025 09:36 pm IST