Karimi Qodosi: The President Does Not Believe in Fighting Smuggling

Javad Karimi Qodosi, a hardline representative critical of the government, claims that smugglers have influence not only in customs but also in the parliament and other institutions, and that the President has no belief in combating smuggling and is "lax" in this regard. According to a report by Bulletin News on Friday, April 4, Mr. Karimi Qodosi made these remarks in an exclusive interview regarding the recent statements of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic in Mashhad, who called for a "serious fight" against the phenomenon of smuggling in Iran. This hardline representative, referring to Ayatollah Khamenei's statements, said that in his opinion, "customs is the focal point" of these remarks. He called for the dismissal of Masoud Karbasian, the head of customs, and accused Hassan Rouhani of "laziness" in the fight against smuggling, stating that the President "has no motivation to combat smuggling." He added that the President "has not said a single word against the smuggling of goods, and this shows that he personally has no belief in combating smuggling," claiming that this is the reason for the Supreme Leader's criticism regarding the fight against smuggling. A member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Parliament linked the high volume of imports and smuggling in Iran to the "weak, lethargic, hopeless, non-revolutionary, and inactive management of officials." Mr. Karimi Qodosi also spoke of the significant "influence" of smuggling gangs in the country, adding that "this influence is observable not only in customs but also in the parliament and other institutions." According to him, "these smugglers and smuggling gangs are very well connected and therefore operate freely." However, this representative of the parliament urged the people to "make a revolutionary decision" and not to vote for Hassan Rouhani in the upcoming presidential election. He added, "If pious, revolutionary, and efficient managers are elected, the country's problems, including smuggling, will be resolved; but if they vote for Rouhani again, not only will these problems not be solved, but they will multiply." These statements come at a time when Ali Tayebnia, the Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance, announced in February 2017 that a large portion of smuggling, meaning more than 70 percent of it, occurs through unofficial and unmonitored channels. The Minister of Economy, while explaining to representatives about the entry of smuggled goods, stated that customs only supervises goods that enter through official channels. Hassan Rouhani also stated in 2015, without naming any specific institution or organization, that "a corrupt apparatus... can bring in smuggled goods and prevents the country from growing." Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the former President of Iran, also implicitly referred to the Revolutionary Guards as "brothers of smugglers" in July 2011.