Nine persons, including seven women, were arrested on Saturday near Anna Nagar checkpost along the Vaniyambadi-Velathikamanibenda Road, for transporting rice meant for Public Distribution System (PDS), in a private mini-bus. Police also impounded the mini-bus that was used to transport around 750 kg of PDS rice.
A police team led by inspector of the Vellore unit of Civil Supplies CID, D Ashokan, conducted a vehicle check at the checkpost on Saturday night and found 25 bags of PDS rice, each weighing 30 kg, in a mini-bus plying between Vaniyambadi and Velathikamanibenda, in AP.
Police arrested the driver of the bus, C Arumugam (45) of Ramanaickapettai, conductor R Murugan (38) of Vaniyambadi New Town and seven women — S Kuppammal (35), R Malar (45), V Sampurnam (25), D Sukkammal (25), R Malar (25), K Kuppammal (28) and T Shantha (40), all from Chinthakamanibenda village in Vaniyambadi Taluk. They were also booked under the provisions of the Essential Commodities Act and remanded to prison. Police handed over the seized PDS rice to the Civil Supplies department.
It may be recalled that police had arrested four women, a driver and a conductor of a private bus for trying to smuggle around 600 kg of PDS rice into Chittoor district on Thursday. They had also seized the bus and sent a report to the District Revenue Officer for further enquiry.