Crackdown ordered on sugar smuggling

Chief secretary directed non-stop action to stabilise local markets

PESHAWAR:

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry on Wednesday ordered strict action against smuggling and hoarding of wheat, sugar, fertilizer and other essential commodities.

He presided over a high-level meeting to review progress on measures taken to curb smuggling.

Relevant administrative secretaries, Customs and Special Branch officials, commissioners, deputy commissioners and other senior officials attended the meeting.

The chief secretary directed non-stop action against elements involved in smuggling of essential commodities, saying that the district administration should also continue to take measures to stop hoarding in order to stabilize rates of essential commodities in the local markets.

He stressed upon intelligence sharing and closer coordination among authorities concerned for preventing hoarding and smuggling. The meeting was informed that as many as 21 check posts had been set up in border districts to prevent smuggling.

Similarly, administration of Peshawar in an operation against hoarders recovered and confiscated 57 ton of sugar while 22 ton of sugar (22,050 kg) was seized in Khyber district.

The seized sugar is sold to the public in markets of relevant districts after completion of legal formalities.

Similarly, fines to the tune of Rs29 million were imposed on 6,235 business units for violation of laws related to profiteering and hoarding during Ramazan.

Secretary food apprised the forum that more than 15.3 million bags of 10 kilo of free flour were distributed among 5.2 million eligible households during Ramazan. The chief secretary directed that dealers’ stocks should be closely monitored and special attention should be paid to control excess supply of essential commodities to the border districts.

Sugar seized in Khyber

District administration Khyber has launched a crackdown against the smuggling of sugar to neighboring Afghanistan. On Wednesday a team led by Assistant Commissioner, Landikotal, Irshad Ali conducted a raid and recovered 2,600 kg of sugar. It was illegally stored at Bacha Mina Torkham border.

The sugar bags were found to have been shifted from Peshawar’s open market to the border, and 52 bags of 2,600 kg have been taken into custody.

This is not the first time that the Khyber district administration has taken action against profiteers on the Torkham border. A few days ago, the team recovered 441 bags of 50 kilogram each from four different warehouses.

The district administration is taking legal action against those involved in these illegal activities.

These raids are a part of the district administration’s efforts to ensure that such illegal activities are curbed and the market remains fair and transparent for all.

The deputy commissioner urged everyone to report any such illegal activities to the authorities to maintain law and order in the district.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 27^th, 2023.