TIRUCHY: A flying squad headed by the District Supply Officer (DSO) secured two persons for smuggling ration rice and seized 2.8 tonnes of ration rice in Thanjavur on Wednesday. 

On a tip off that a huge quantity of PDS rice was smuggled, the Thanjavur district collector B Priyanka Pankajam directed a special team to investigate. 

A team led by DSO Kamala Kannan conducted a vehicle inspection in which they intercepted a load auto that was proceeding to the Mariamman Kovil bypass near Thanjavur and they found 2.8 tonnes of rice meant for the PDS outlet. 

The team seized the rice and secured Jothi Prakash from Papanasam and Manikandan from Keezha Vasal.