Customs foils bid to export rice illegally

Customs, on Friday, intercepted three containers, full of rice, foiling an attempt to illegally export the foodgrain by labelling it as salt.

Such an attempt was made at the container terminal in Kochi. Sources said the agency had intercepted 13 such containers in the past one month and the rice, reportedly worth over Rs 4 crore, was intercepted in a similar way. Sources said the rice bags were concealed behind salt bags in the containers labelled as salt.

Sources said that such attempts were made by traders due to the restrictions on exporting some types of rice abroad. Biryani rice, which has an estimated rate of Rs 160/kg, was intercepted on Friday, sources said.

This article has been republished from The Times of India.