Discovery of 11,000 Kilograms of Various Alcoholic Beverages in Qasr-e Shirin

Iran's customs announced that its agents succeeded in discovering 11,060 kilograms of 'various alcoholic beverages' valued at '4 billion and 200 million rials'. On Saturday, September 4, the news website Khabar Online reported that this shipment was discovered and confiscated from within an 'Iraqi mazut transport tanker'. This shipment was found at the 'Parvizkhan' customs located in Qasr-e Shirin County in Kermanshah Province, which facilitates Iran's connection with the Kurdistan region of Iraq. According to Khabar Online, the Parvizkhan customs agents, during inspections and monitoring of shipments, 'with the help of advanced truck X-ray control devices, passed a mazut tanker through the X-ray machine and, during further scans, became suspicious of the contents inside the tanker. Based on this report, customs agents in further inspections discovered that another item was concealed inside the mazut tanker, which after 'completely unloading the tanker, resulted in the discovery of 2,727 bottles of various alcoholic beverages'. The approximate value of this shipment, which includes '45 types of alcoholic beverages weighing 11,060 kilograms', is estimated at '4 billion and 200 million rials'. Previously, the director of disease prevention and control in the health department of Yasouj University of Medical Sciences announced on March 14 of last year that there has been an 'increase' in the consumption of alcoholic beverages in southern provinces of Iran, stating that Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province ranks third in this regard. According to ILNA news agency, Zafer Parisai expressed regret that the consumption of alcoholic beverages in this province is on the 'rise' and stated that 'expert studies' show that Tehran ranks first in terms of alcohol consumption in Iran. The number of advanced truck X-ray control devices in Iran's customs has tripled. According to Khabar Online, the number of advanced truck X-ray control devices in Iran's customs has increased threefold, and this year, 19 more devices will be added to the country's customs capacity. On April 7 of this year, Iran's customs also announced that soon all incoming containers to 'Shahid Rajaei' customs in Bandar Abbas will be inspected with the 'advanced X-ray' system. The new X-rays are capable of controlling and scanning the contents of containers and trucks while in motion. This news was published after multiple reports emerged about the daily entry of thousands of containers into the country without supervision. In September 2016, Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, the Attorney General of the country, reported that 3,850 trucks entered Iran daily through Bandar Abbas 'without inspection and supervision'. In late August of last year, some media reported that the 'largest smuggling shipment' in the last six years was discovered at 'Shahid Rajaei' port in Bandar Abbas, and in this case, 11 employees of the customs and ports and maritime organization were arrested. Habibollah Haghighi, head of the anti-smuggling goods and currency headquarters, previously announced that '4,000 containers enter and exit through Shahid Rajaei port daily, which with one X-ray device, can only check 200 containers'. Smuggling in Iran has become one of the most important economic problems and symbols of 'corruption' in the country, and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, in response to the continuation of this situation, called for the 'burning' of smuggled goods. In this context, the consumption of 'homemade alcohol' in Sirjan sent dozens to the hospital, resulting in 5 deaths and 114 poisonings after consuming 'homemade alcoholic beverages'.