Seizures vary in shape, size & quality

KUWAIT CITY, Feb 5: The Director of Air Customs Administration, Mutlaq Al-Anzi revealed the customs personnel in 2019 thwarted over 400 smuggling attempts, reports Al-Anba daily.

He told the daily, the seizures vary in shape, size and quality such as alcohol, drugs and psychotropic substances and explained most of the narcotic seizures are hashish, marijuana and a kind of chemical, and that all those substances are referred to the General Department for Drugs Control (GDDC).

As for the commercial seizures differ in origin and incorrect description of the goods and imitation goods that have increased significantly during the recent times. Al-Anzi stated that the work of air customs officials, whether at the passenger terminal or at the air freight department, government mail and express mail, play a different role by means of effective procedures and controls to prevent any security breach or commercial fraud.

He stressed the Air Customs Administration is making tremendous efforts and continues its efforts to the fullest in order to combat all kinds of smuggling and fraud with help from the concerned government institutions to prevent smuggling of the contraband into the country.

He pointed out that air customs men impose tight control and redouble their efforts by examining and inspecting parcels and messages that are received from some countries in South America and Europe since legislations have been enacted in this regard pertaining to psychotropic and narcotic substances because such materials can be easily purchased online and brought to the country.

He announced the administration recently repelled 30 attempts to smuggle prohibited materials through parcels and mail messages, and talked about the seizure of 10 kilos of hashish and 2000 counterfeit coins in 100 fils denomination which was brought into the country with the help of a courier company. Speaking of methods used by the air customs administration to prevent smuggling, Al-Anzi explained the smugglers around the world always seek to develop their methods and operations, but the customs department also develops and updates its work mechanism through extra efforts and equipment to keep pace with the development taking place in these operations.

Al-Anzi thanked the Director General of the General Administration of Customs, Counselor Jamal Al-Jalawi, and the Deputy Director General for Ports Affairs, Sheikh Faisal Al-Sabah, for their directives, encouragement, and continuous support.