2,500kg PDS rice bags seized in Tuticorin

Tuticorin: The civil supplies criminal investigation department (CSCID) seized 2,500kg of rice bags being smuggled from a public distribution shop at Alagesapuram in Tuticorin on Thursday and arrested one of the four smugglers. CSCID officials were conducting a raid at third railway gate junction near Tuticorin new bus stand when they came across 50 rice bags, each weighing 50 kilogram, in a lorry. They arrested R Ramesh of Natarajapuram while P Isakivel who drove the vehicle escaped. Investigations revealed that the rice bags were smuggled into the lorry by Alagesapuram PDS shop vendor Balamurugan and the 50 rice bags were meant to be smuggled to B Ajith Kumar of Anna Nagar in Tuticorin. CSCID officials filed cases against the four accused, while Isakivel, Balamurugan and Ajith Kumar are absconding.tnn