Five cops seize 22 tonnes of PDS rice and 2 tonnes of wheat in Gachibowli raid

Five persons were arrested and around 22 tonnes of Public Distribution System (PDS) rice along with two tonnes of wheat were seized during a joint raid by Gachibowli police, civil supplies department and state vigilance team at Gowlidoddi village in Serilingampally mandal of Rangareddy district on Thursday.

Acting on a tip-off about illegal purchase, storage and transportation of PDS commodities, officials searched the premises behind a government school and an open plot near Jayabheri Apartments.

The accused was identified as Mohd. Sami (27), a businessman from Rajendranagar; Nagesh (20), a driver from Markundha village in Bidar district, Karnataka; Biru Kumar (24), a driver from Bidar district, Karnataka; MD Mubeen Ahmed Qureshi (20), a driver from Perla Bowli in Hyderabad’s Old City; and Abdul Neef (27), a driver from Khajanagar in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad.

During the operation, the team seized about 520 plastic bags of PDS rice, each weighing 40 kg to 50 kg, loaded on a 12-tyre truck. In addition, about 40 bags of wheat were also found stored in a nearby compound.

Police said random verification of the rice bags revealed the presence of Fortified Rice Kernels (FRKs), confirming that the supplies were supplied under the Telangana government’s public distribution scheme for distribution to eligible beneficiaries.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused were purchasing PDS rice and wheat from beneficiaries at low prices before selling the commodities at higher rates for illegal financial gain, in violation of the Telangana State Public Distribution System (Control) Order, 2016 and other applicable laws.

In addition to the rice and wheat, officials seized five vehicles used to illegally transport the commodities, including a 12-tyre truck and four trucks.

Further investigation is underway.

Published – 16 Jul 2026 20:42 IST