RAWALPINDI: The food department and district police in Rawalpindi have successfully foiled two attempts to smuggle 820 bags of wheat flour.
The authorities, in collaboration with Potohar Division police, conducted raids that led to the arrests of two drivers, Lal Zameen and Muhammad Usama, and the seizure of the wheat flour bags.
A spokesperson for the district administration said the accused had attempted to transport the wheat flour bags out of the Rawalpindi division through illegal means.
The food department and district police, under the guidance of the Deputy Commissioner of Rawalpindi, have been strictly monitoring all exit points of the district to thwart any attempts at wheat and flour smuggling.
Wheat flour prices in Pakistan have reached uncomfortable heights in recent weeks, causing difficulties for locals who rely on staple foods such as roti and naan. Long queues for government-subsidised flour are common, and protests have erupted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due to high prices.
The central and provincial governments have been shifting blame for the crisis, while experts suggest that long-standing issues have been worsened by the Ukraine war, floods in 2022, and the smuggling of wheat to Afghanistan.
