TAXILA: An alleged nexus between officials of the food department and the flour smuggling mafia was exposed on Thursday when local revenue authorities foiled a bid to smuggle 40 tons of wheat flour from Punjab to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), preventing the illegal transportation of a subsidised essential commodity.

The Taxila food department has been under the spotlight for the past few weeks, with several officials reportedly arrested for allegedly facilitating flour smugglers. Some were removed from service or transferred after being found guilty in departmental inquiries for allegedly being in league with the smuggling network.

The latest development came when revenue officials intercepted a consignment of 40 tons of flour allegedly being smuggled from Punjab to KP via the inter-provincial Taxila–Haripur route. Sources said that acting on a tip-off, Revenue Officer Asim Pervaiz Gondal intercepted the vehicle carrying flour produced by local mills in Taxila and Wah, which was allegedly being transported in violation of government regulations.

Authorities seized the vehicle and took the driver into custody for questioning. During preliminary investigations, the driver reportedly confessed that he had loaded the flour from different local mills and was transporting it to KP in violation of rules governing the inter-provincial movement of wheat flour.

Meanwhile, a series of transfers, suspensions and expulsions within the local Taxila food department have further highlighted what officials privately describe as a “dirty game”.

The alleged collusion surfaced when seven vehicles loaded with flour and wheat products were intercepted while heading towards KP without mandatory clearance.

The consignments reportedly included flour, fine bran and other wheat products worth millions of rupees.

Drivers allegedly disclosed that the vehicles were allowed to pass with the connivance of a food grade supervisor on duty. A case was registered under the Foodstuffs Control Act, 1958, and the Food Grains Licensing Control Order, 1957.

Officials claimed that an assistant food controller (AFC) was transferred a day after taking action against the racket and registering a case against a colleague. Two district food controllers were also removed and transferred on the report of a government agency for allegedly failing to curb flour smuggling.

Earlier, on January 14, a police constable posted at an inter-provincial checkpost was booked for allegedly facilitating flour smuggling.

Messages recovered from his mobile phone reportedly confirmed collusion with transporters, leading to registration of a case under the Police Order.

Illegal transportation reportedly continued through alternative routes, including Usman Khattar, Rehbar Colony, Jehri Kass, Mohra Maradu, Sultanpur and Sangjani.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2026