Hyderabad: PDS rice mafia engaged in gang war
Hyderabad: While the police are focusing on drugs, the mafia involved in smuggling of rice distributed under the Public Distribution Scheme (PDS) to below poverty line (BPL) families is rapidly expanding. Due to the huge profits made from illegal trade, the bands do not return to despair.
The multi-millionaire business attracted anti-social elements to come together and form organized bands, who now have the astonishing ability to collect, store, transport and commercialize tonnes of rice for their customers in Telangana and the neighboring states of Karnataka, Maharashtra or Andhra Pradesh. Has Developed.
The rivalry between gangs in the city and the war over banned substances reached such levels that a man was attacked and murdered in Santoshnagar in December. The victim, Tariq, a local office-bearer of a political party, tried to resolve a dispute between two groups over smuggling of PDS rice and became the victim, according to the police.
In other incidents, Arshad Hussain of Cherlapalli was killed by Mohammed Mehboob Hussain in Patancheru in 2018 over a dispute over rice smuggling by the PDS. The following year, Arshad’s family members, with the help of assassins, allegedly killed Hussain in Rudraram, Patancheru, to avenge the murder.
According to informed sources, smuggling of PDS rice is becoming a business worth crores. Organized bands have at least four levels; The regional group collects rice at Rs 12 per kg from ration shops or local beneficiaries, another group stores it in warehouses, a third group deals with buyers and another group transports it. “Local politicians, YouTubers, local police and civil supply officers are paid huge amounts of ‘maamul’. After calculating all the expenses, rice is sold in other states at a higher price of Rs 28 to Rs 30. Some millers are also purchasing at higher prices,” S A Rahim, a social activist, said, adding that this is causing huge losses to the state exchequer.
Due to higher profits in the business, the gangs invested in purchasing old scooters and rickshaws to deliver rice to the doorsteps of beneficiaries. Additionally, some gangs hired transport vehicles such as rickshaws and DCMs to sell the contraband rice to their customers.
