LAHORE: The Food Department has uncovered a major case of digital fraud involving multiple flour mills using fake e-permits to transport wheat and flour.
Officials exposed the digital forgery network within 48 hours. Several mills, including Al-Mustaqeem, Shah Taj, Al-Makka, Sultan, Darya, and Umar Flour Mills have been served show cause notices, while cases have been registered and arrests made against drivers found involved in the scam. A total of 11 vehicles used for illegal transportation have been taken into custody.
According to a spokesperson of the Punjab Price Control Department, thousands of maunds of wheat and flour were being smuggled through fake e-permits. The department reaffirmed that forgery and fraud in official documentation will not be tolerated, adding that the crackdown on transporters involved in smuggling through digital manipulation is being further intensified.
Meanwhile, the province-wide campaign against profiteering continues. During the past 24 hours, a total of 404,404 inspection visits were conducted across Punjab. As a result, 12,114 profiteers were fined, 2 FIRs were registered, and 100 individuals were arrested.
In specific sectors, price inspections at 32,065 flour-selling points resulted in 357 profiteers' fines and 7 arrests; checks at 18,864 chicken shops resulted in 523 fines and 7 arrests; and at 9,888 hotels and tandoors, 360 profiteers were fined, 11 arrested, and one FIR registered. Moreover, inspections at 12,266 sugar sale points resulted in 627 fines and 12 arrests.
The Price Control spokesperson urged citizens to actively use the “Qeemat App” to verify daily official rates of essential commodities and register complaints, stressing that public participation through the app is crucial to eliminating profiteering and ensuring transparency in market prices.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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