Punjab tightens border checks, seizes 1,470 tonnes of wheat and flour in anti-smuggling drive

ATTOCK, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 4th Jul, 2026) Punjab's intensified crackdown on the illegal movement of wheat and flour into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has significantly disrupted cross-border smuggling, with the provincial Food Department intercepting 78 vehicles and seizing around 1,470 metric tonnes of wheat and flour during operations over the past six weeks, officials said on Saturday.

The campaign, launched to safeguard food supplies and prevent artificial shortages in Punjab, has focused on strengthening surveillance along the Attock and Rawalpindi border with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Authorities have established permanent monitoring points at key crossing locations in Taxila and Hassan Abdal, where suspected vehicles are subjected to rigorous inspections using enhanced screening procedures to detect concealed consignments.

Officials said Food Department teams have carried out daily enforcement operations at the border checkpoints, confiscating multiple consignments of wheat, flour and wheat bran allegedly being transported illegally from flour mills into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They added that the heightened vigilance has made smuggling increasingly difficult, forcing traffickers to abandon several attempts.

The sustained operation has helped maintain a steady supply of quality flour in local markets across Attock and Rawalpindi, according to officials. Traders and consumers have also reported improved market stability, with flour remaining available at government-approved prices despite continued enforcement against illegal cross-border movement.

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