Mon Dec 09 22:54:00 UTC 2024: **Massive PDS Rice Smuggling Bust in Andhra Pradesh**
**Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, December 10, 2024** – A major crackdown on illegal exports of Public Distribution System (PDS) rice has resulted in the seizure of thousands of quintals of rice and the arrest of hundreds of individuals in Andhra Pradesh’s Annamayya district. Authorities, including special police, revenue, and civil supplies teams, conducted raids on rice mills across the region, utilizing technology to identify and apprehend those involved in the smuggling operation.
Superintendent of Police V. Vidyasagar Naidu reported that 157 cases have been filed, leading to the arrest of 336 people and the recovery of 7,971.385 quintals of rice. An additional 16 tonnes of illegally stored rice were seized in Kalakada. All confiscated rice has been returned to government custody.
The investigation, triggered by reports of PDS rice misappropriation, is ongoing. Authorities are collecting information on those involved to ensure appropriate legal action is taken. Samples of rice were also collected from the West-Africa bound ship, Stella L Panama, at Kakinada Anchorage Port as part of the investigation into the illegal export. The raids, conducted on December 8th, involved advanced technology and inter-departmental cooperation.
First Piper 