Railway Protection Force personnel with the ration rice seized from different trains at Podanur railway station on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The Railway Protection Force (RPF) at Podanur in Coimbatore foiled attempts by unidentified persons to smuggle ration rice from Tamil Nadu to Kerala.
Based on the instructions of Chandra Mohan, RPF Assistant Security Commissioner, Coimbatore, a special drive was conducted at Podanur railway station on Wednesday to curb smuggling of ration rice through trains.
RPF Sub-Inspector P. Manikandan and his team searched trains bound to various destinations in Kerala, which passed through Podanur station, between 7.30 a.m. to 10.30 a.m. According to RPF, 35 unclaimed bags containing about 500 kg of rice were detected and seized from different trains.
RPF sources said the bags containing rice were found abandoned inside the trains, underneath the seats in the unreserved coaches. As no person came forward to claim ownership despite enquiries, the recovered rice was treated as unclaimed property, they said.
The recovered ration rice was subsequently handed over to the Special Tahsildar, Flying Squad, Civil Supplies, Coimbatore, for further action and disposal as per rules.
Published – September 17, 2026 05:54 pm IST
