Dhubri Police Intercept Smuggled PDS Rice Bound for Bangladesh

Guwahati: Dhubri police stopped a smuggling run on the Brahmaputra River. Officers recovered over 100 bags of subsidised Public Distribution System rice during a night raid. The operation targeted a boat moving through riverine territory near Fakirganj. Police chased the vessel for nearly an hour before the suspects jumped overboard and swam away.

Fakirganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Purushottam Singh led the team that seized the boat and its cargo. The rice likely originated from the National Food Security Act network. Investigators found sacks marked Government of Punjab, triggering concerns about a multi-state supply chain. Officers are now tracing the origins of these bags to uncover the wider network.

"PDS food grains are meant for eligible beneficiaries, but attempts are being made to divert these supplies for illegal trade across the border," officials said. Singh is currently working to identify the local distributors and the suspects who escaped into the water. Police have since increased patrols on the river to secure the border against further smuggling bids.