Member of Parliament: Customs Managers Involved in Smuggling

A representative from Hamadan in the Islamic Consultative Assembly states that a "systemic smuggling mafia" has infiltrated Iran, with over "80 percent" of smuggling occurring through official channels, facilitated by the "coordination of certain individuals." Amir Khajasteh made these remarks on Thursday, January 7, in an interview with the Tabnak website, calling for the "reform" of the country's customs managers. Khajasteh reported the "disappearance" of certain documents related to the investigation of smuggling in Parliament, expressing uncertainty about the power of this smuggling mafia, stating, "I feel this mafia has infiltrated everywhere with billions of dollars." According to this representative, "these [smuggling mafia] have infiltrated everywhere and want to penetrate the Parliament as well." He criticized the lack of accountability regarding the disappearance of documents in Parliament concerning corruption, stating, "They are plundering the people's assets, and it is unacceptable that thousands of containers of smuggled goods enter the country through official channels." Khajasteh further claimed that "customs and the customs mafia have coordinated to silence anyone from the public, officials, or parliamentarians who wishes to speak out." He added, "They want to spread enough hatred inside and outside Parliament so that no one dares to fight against systemic smuggling." He mentioned that many government employees and customs officials have provided the Parliament with information about "systemic smuggling" and the "calculated and systematic" entry of goods "with the coordination of certain individuals." The representative declared that the "volume of smuggling from official channels" into Iran is "over 80 percent" and accused "customs managers" of being involved in the smuggling phenomenon. Khajasteh, without naming any specific individuals, stated that "the customs manager of one city has taken a bribe of 300 million tomans, which he has confessed to, and God knows how much more has been taken." He emphasized that "customs officials must be reformed, and the mafia's hand must be cut off," adding that they "slander representatives and make films against them and have even threatened them." According to Khajasteh, he has been told, "If you do not back down, we will do such and such. They want to take the system to a point where officials are scared and do not approach these issues." On July 1 of this year, the spokesman for the Judicial Commission of Parliament also stated that "some state entities" are directly or indirectly involved in smuggling. Hassan Norouzi referred to "rent" and "the existence of special connections" as two factors contributing to the smuggling of goods and currency in Iran, stating that "some individuals benefit from their previous work experiences in the field of smuggling goods and currency into the country." This representative did not name any specific individuals or groups but added that those "who have previously worked in banking or ministries or have been bought out are sometimes seen utilizing their experiences in this regard." He also noted that "unfortunately, individuals motivated to combat smuggling of goods and currency are not selected, and on the other hand, some state entities are directly and indirectly involved in the smuggling of goods into the country." The issue of state entities and power holders' involvement in the expansion of the smuggling phenomenon in Iran has been raised in media and speeches by various officials of the Islamic Republic for years. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, during his second presidential term, implicitly referred to the Revolutionary Guards as "brothers of smugglers," and Hassan Rouhani has recently criticized the Revolutionary Guards' interventions in the economy implicitly. Rouhani also mentioned in February 2016, without naming any specific agency or institution, that "a corrupt entity that... can bring in smuggled goods does not allow the country to grow." In Iran, numerous reports are published annually regarding the discovery and seizure of various smuggled goods and currency at the country's entry points, with no exact official figures available for this volume of smuggling. According to officials, Iran currently has 150 customs offices, with a significant volume of smuggling occurring through these official channels. Smuggling 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, has called for smuggled goods to be "burned" in response to the continuation of this situation.