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Crime
Dhubri Police Seize 100+ Bags of PDS Rice from Brahmaputra, Thwart Bangladesh Smuggling Attempt
✍️ India Today NE
🗓 14 Sep 2026, 12:46 PM
👁 9
Police in Dhubri, Assam, recovered more than 100 bags of public distribution system (PDS) rice from the Brahmaputra River, disrupting a suspected smuggling operation aimed at Bangladesh.
Dhubri police announced on Monday that they have recovered over one hundred bags of rice earmarked for the state’s public distribution system (PDS) from the Brahmaputra River. The seizure was made during a routine patrol along the riverbank, where officers spotted a suspicious bundle of sacks being floated downstream.
Investigators say the rice was being smuggled out of Assam with the intention of crossing into Bangladesh, where it could be sold on the black market at a premium. The PDS stock is subsidised by the government, and any diversion undermines food‑security schemes for the state’s poorest families.
According to senior police officials, the operation was intercepted before the cargo could reach the border, and the seized bags have been handed over to the district administration for verification. No arrests have been reported yet, but the case is being forwarded to the state’s anti‑smuggling unit for further action.
The incident highlights ongoing challenges in curbing cross‑border grain smuggling, a problem that state authorities have been trying to address through tighter monitoring of PDS supplies and increased river patrols.
Investigators say the rice was being smuggled out of Assam with the intention of crossing into Bangladesh, where it could be sold on the black market at a premium. The PDS stock is subsidised by the government, and any diversion undermines food‑security schemes for the state’s poorest families.
According to senior police officials, the operation was intercepted before the cargo could reach the border, and the seized bags have been handed over to the district administration for verification. No arrests have been reported yet, but the case is being forwarded to the state’s anti‑smuggling unit for further action.
The incident highlights ongoing challenges in curbing cross‑border grain smuggling, a problem that state authorities have been trying to address through tighter monitoring of PDS supplies and increased river patrols.