Rawalpindi district police and the Food Department, on the special directives of Punjab government, have set up five special pickets at exit points of Rawalpindi district to control wheat smuggling.
According to a police spokesman, special pickets have been established in Naseerabad area, Hakla Interchange, Gangu Bahadur, HMC road and Brahama Interchange.
He informed that the Food Department and Rawalpindi district police in their joint operations had seized 9603 wheat bags, 7220 flour bags and 26 tons fine flour (Maida) while 26 accused were sent behind the bars.
The authorities of the Food Department Rawalpindi and Rawalpindi district police had been directed to strictly monitor district exit points to control wheat smuggling, he added.
Meanwhile, a district administration spokesman informed that Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rawalpindi Tahir Farooq had also inspected the pickets set up by the Food Department and police and checked the arrangements.
The DC directed the authorities to strictly monitor the movement of wheat and take strict action in accordance with the law against the rules violators.
He instructed the authorities to establish check posts in uniform pattern and proper sign boards of the check posts be installed.
The spokesman said that all the exit points of Rawalpindi division were being monitored round the clock to control wheat smuggling as the administration had set up 14 check posts at exit points of the four districts of the division to check wheat smuggling.
The administration in collaboration with police and special branch, was carrying out operations and a special monitoring system had also been developed particularly for exit points of Rawalpindi division to check wheat smuggling.
The check posts were set up at exit points of Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum and Chakwal districts, he said and informed, the district administration in collaboration with the Motorway police, Rawalpindi district police and the food department was making efforts to control wheat smuggling.
