FIA Probes Passco Wheat Theft as 50,000 Bags Go Missing

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has launched an inquiry into an alleged Passco wheat theft in Hafizabad after an initial probe found that 50,000 bags of wheat were missing from the stocks of the state-run Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation.

The inquiry began after Passco’s managing director formally referred the matter to the FIA director general, following an internal check that found shortages and irregularities in the wheat stocks of the Hafizabad zone.

Passco Wheat Theft: What the Initial Probe Found

According to official sources, a joint initial probe by Passco headquarters and the FIA found that around 50,000 wheat bags were missing from the corporation’s stores in Hafizabad. The exact value of the missing wheat has not yet been worked out, and the investigation team has been asked to assess the loss to the national exchequer.

Seven senior officials of the Hafizabad Passco zone, including the zonal head and a project manager, have reportedly gone into hiding since the shortage came to light. None of them has been formally charged so far, and their roles will be determined by the inquiry.

Passco Wheat Theft: FIA Inquiry and Audit

• The FIA Gujranwala zonal director has been assigned to head the inquiry, and an investigation team has started work.
• Passco’s managing director has set up a special audit inspection committee to carry out a full check of the stocks and scrutinise official records.
• Investigators aim to identify everyone involved in the alleged scam.
• According to FIA sources, a criminal case may be registered against those found responsible.

Not the First Passco Wheat Scandal

The Hafizabad Passco wheat theft is the latest in a series of wheat embezzlement cases involving Passco stores. In October, the FIA in Multan arrested six suspects, including three senior officials of Passco’s Multan zone, in a case involving the alleged embezzlement of 25,058 bags of locally procured wheat from 2024 and 105.3 metric tons of imported wheat from 2022. The alleged loss in that case was put at more than Rs347.6 million, and the FIA said more arrests could follow. Those allegations have not yet been proven in court.

Earlier this year, about 2,000 bags of wheat were also reported missing from a Passco warehouse in Faisalabad, where officials were accused of filling bags with soil in place of wheat.

Why Passco Stocks Matter

Passco is a federal corporation that buys wheat from farmers and keeps strategic reserves for the country. These stocks are used to stabilise flour prices, meet shortages and support food security, so any loss from government warehouses ultimately falls on taxpayers.

How the Passco Wheat Theft Affects You

• Taxpayers: missing government wheat is a direct loss to public money used to buy and store the grain.
• Flour prices: weaker strategic reserves can make it harder for the government to control prices during shortages.
• Farmers: repeated scandals raise questions about the procurement system that buys their crop.

What Happens Next

The FIA team will examine stock registers, dispatch records and other documents, while the audit committee completes its physical check of the warehouses. If the inquiry confirms the Passco wheat theft, a criminal case is expected to be registered and the officials involved could face arrest and departmental action.

For official updates, visit the Federal Investigation Agency website.

Read More: ECC Agrees to Sell Old PASSCO Wheat Stock to Cover Liabilities