LAHORE: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has launched a province-wide crackdown on hoarders, profiteers and traders violating official price lists, with price control magistrates carrying out more than 389,000 inspections in a single week.

Secretary PFA Dr Kiran Khursheed said fines exceeding Rs4.58 million were imposed for overcharging and for failing to display rate lists, while 57 cases were registered and 414 people arrested for breaking the law.

The enforcement drive logged 3,141 instances of rate lists not being displayed and 22,606 cases of overcharging.

To enforce the fixed price and weight of roti, magistrates raided 83,345 locations. That effort alone produced 33 cases, 136 arrests and more than Rs1.116 million in fines. A further 15,692 points were checked to ensure flour was being supplied at notified rates, resulting in one case and nine arrests.

Chicken prices were checked at 18,992 locations, with 25 people arrested for overcharging and fines of over Rs243,000 imposed. Egg prices were inspected 9,480 times, producing two cases and 12 arrests, while 17,574 locations were checked for basmati rice rates, leading to seven arrests.

Action was also taken over pulses — mash, masoor, moong and gram — with dozens arrested and over Rs311,000 in fines. Across the province, 29,316 locations were checked for sugar and ghee rates, and 38 shops and premises were sealed.

Dr Khursheed said monitoring and enforcement would continue without pause, and that strict legal action would follow against anyone found overcharging, hoarding or breaching notified rates.