Food cell police auction two-wheelers used for smuggling PDS items in Madurai

MADURAI: The Civil Supplies CID in Madurai auctioned eight vehicles seized for smuggling public distribution system goods.
As per the order of district collector Dr Aneesh Sekhar, the open auction was conducted for 25 vehicles but only eight could be auctioned. The remaining vehicles could not be auctioned since the value was more and the bidders were not ready to pay so much money for the vehicles.
Officials said the value would be revised and an auction would be conducted again on these vehicles.
CS-CID regularly arrests people for smuggling civil supplies items like rice and kerosene.
On Monday, one tanker truck used for transporting 600 litre of PDS kerosene was seized at Alanganallur, and two people were arrested. On July 13, a minitruck carrying 1,250 kg of PDS rice was seized at Thiruparankundram. Three people were arrested on charges of smuggling the civil supplies items meant for the public distribution.
On July 10, a minitruck transporting 2,500 kg of PDS rice was seized at Perungudi and two were arrested in this regard. Food cell officials said that they register around five cases in a month and all the vehicles used in smuggling would be confiscated.
In case of big vehicles like trucks, minitrucks and vans, the accused used to approach the court and pay the fine and redeem their vehicles. But no smuggler would turn up to claim smaller vehicles like two-wheelers.
The department has 120 seized two- wheelers and 40 four-wheelers in their custody. If the owners don’t approach the court and redeem their vehicles, the food cell would auction the vehicles periodically.
“An assistant engineer from the mechanical department of the regional transport office assesses the vehicles and fixes the rate. If the bidders are not convinced of the value, they won’t bid. So, we ask the department to revalue them again for the auction,” said a food cell department official.