Crime

The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has intensified raids across the country to crack down on traders selling rice at prices higher than the government’s maximum retail price. According to the CAA, the maximum retail price of Kiri Samba and Samba rice varieties is Rs. 260 per kilogram, but many traders are selling them at inflated prices. Since the beginning of 2025, the Authority has carried out nearly 3,000 raids related to rice sales, of which about 1,000 were specifically for overpricing. An officer of the CAA told the Daily Mirror that nearly 20 shops selling rice at higher prices were raided over the past two days alone. He added that courts have so far imposed fines totaling approximately Rs. 95 million in connection with cases filed following such raids. The officer further noted that some shop owners are reluctant to purchase rice due to producers themselves demanding higher prices. The CAA warned that traders found guilty of selling rice above the controlled price face strict penalties. General shops can be fined between Rs. 100,000 and Rs. 500,000 or face up to six months’ imprisonment—or both. For private companies, fines range from Rs. 500,000 to Rs. 50 million.