Bahrain - Nearly 2,000 customs violations, including attempts to smuggle drugs and restricted goods, were recorded last year, an increase of 26 per cent.

Customs officials stationed at various entry points into the country have seized around 32kg of drugs and about 45,000 narcotic pills in 2019.

Other customs violations include importing prohibited or restricted goods into the country such as weapons, cultured pearls, narcotics, and exotic animals and birds.

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Customs Affairs president Shaikh Ahmed bin Hamad Al Khalifa said modern technology and scanning devices were being used to continuously monitor shipments entering the country.

“Containers of all sizes and all vehicles are scanned using advanced surveillance systems,” Shaikh Ahmed told the Interior Ministry’s Al Amn magazine.

“Specially trained dogs at the K9 Unit are also used at all entry points.

“The total number of seizures and customs violations was 1,958 in 2019, an increase of 26 per cent over 2018.

“Among these were 1,221 cases of seizure of pills and narcotics, 407 cases and violations related to Customs declaration and documents, and 117 seizures of tobacco and its derivatives.”

This compared to the interception of more than 900 attempts to smuggle narcotics into Bahrain in 2017.

Shaikh Ahmed also revealed that the Customs Affairs approved a programme in international trade movement to secure the established secure chain.

“This includes importers, exporters, manufacturers, brokers, transport companies, ports, airports, warehouses and distributors,” he added.

Bahrain last year became the first country in the region to introduce a customs whitelist to allow an easier flow of supplies to the market.

The list includes medical equipment, health products and raw chemicals for manufacturing processes that are allowed speedier clearance through the customs’ green light channel rather than waiting for approvals from other parties concerned.

Shaikh Ahmed also told the GDN on the sidelines of the Bahrain International Defence Exhibition and Conference last year that Customs was going green by upgrading to electric cars at ports and warehouses.

Its officers are already using Renault Twizy, a compact, two-seater electric quadricycle with zero emissions, within the Khalifa Bin Salman Port premises.

Plans are now being discussed to introduce more such vehicles and replace petrol-driven vehicles.

 

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