LANDI KOTAL, Feb 2: Custom authorities at the Torkhum border seized on Saturday 1,000 bags of flour from two trucks during the routine clearance of export goods to Afghanistan.

Sources said that five hundred bags each were recovered from the two trucks, apparently loaded with vegetables. The vegetables were to be exported to Afghanistan. The Custom authorities also arrested Riaz Khan, the owner of the trucks, and his assistant Amjad Khan for trying to deceive the Custom officials by hiding the flour sacks under potato bags.

With the flour shortage throughout the country, Custom officials and personnel of Khyber Rifles at Torkhum border keep a strict vigil at all the vehicles taking Pakistani goods, including edibles to Afghanistan.

Sources said that the personnel of Khyber Rifles were thoroughly checking even handbags and other belongings of all the Afghan nationals crossing the Torkhum border.

A Custom clearance agent told Dawn on condition of anonymity that staff members of local political administration posted at Torkhum were also involved in flour smuggling to Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, officials of the political administration in Landi Kotal said that they were not receiving full quota of flour from the flour mills. The government had allocated eight trucks for Khyber Agency on daily basis, but official said that they received only six trucks.

Nearly 60 trucks loaded with flour bags allocated for Khyber Agency went missing in December last year. Local administration so far failed to find any clue to the missing trucks.

Flour is distributed in the tribal areas through the government nominated tribal elders. The agency administration nabbed at least two tribal elders for their involvement in the illegal sale of flour in open market. Later, both of the elders were released without any punishment.

Local residents are still facing difficulties in getting flour bags from the administration designated sale points as prices are still high in the open market.