Chennai, Dec 14 (IANS): The Tamil Nadu Police have increased the strength of police squads in the state's western part to prevent extensive smuggling out of Public Distribution System (PDS) rice, officials said on Wednesday.

Police teams have been strengthened in Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Namakkal, Erode, Salem, Tiruppur, The Nilgiris, and Coimbatore as maximum smuggling is taking place from these districts.

According to the state police, more that 1,750 tonnes of PDS rice were seized from smugglers in western Tamil Nadu during this year, 27 people were booked under Goonda Act, and more than 500 vehicles deployed for smuggling were seized.

The number of cases registered this year were also high at 2,231 against 1,798 cases registered in 2021.

Police have deployed two special squads at Pollachi and Krishnagiri to prevent PDS rice smuggling as the volume of smuggling is highest from Krishnagiri district.

In addition to PDS rice, kerosene is also smuggled in large volumes from the western belt of Tamil Nadu to neighbouring states like Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh.

Recently a truck load of PDS rice from Coimbatore was seized at Walayar checkpost in Palakkad, Kerala. On interrogation, it was revealed that the rice was meant for rice mills in Kerala and local leaders of a prominent party in Kerala were protecting the smugglers.