Food control officers seize 9 trucks laden with 10,000 wheat bags to be smuggled into Afghanistan. PHOTO: FILE
Food control officers on Tuesday seized nine trucks laden with 10,000 wheat bags to be smuggled into Afghanistan.
Inspector Muhammad Ramazan and other officials stopped two trucks at a check post in Shahwali, Rajanpur. Basheer Ahmad, who was in charge of Vehoa check post, DG Khan, caught three Afghanistan-bound trucks. Mehar Muhammad Asif, in charge of Shah Sadardin check-post, seized four trucks. The total number of wheat bags seized from these trucks was 10,000.
Cases have been filed against the truck drivers. Early investigations revealed that they were going to smuggle the wheat to Afghanistan, Minister for Punjab Prisons Abdul Wahaeed Araien told media on Tuesday.
He said the smuggling of wheat and manipulation of wheat market will not be tolerated at any cost. He said surveillance cameras had been set up at various check posts in Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur.
“If a province or institution needs wheat, it should use proper channels to ask the Punjab government. Illegal supply of wheat will not be tolerated.” Araein said that farmers deserved the full fruit of their labour. He said the government will purchase all the wheat – to the last grain – from farmers in the two districts, even if it meant raising the procurement target.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 23rd, 2014.
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wheat smugglers are the worst