Including 69 kg of gold.. Yemeni government announces thwarting 124 major smuggling operations at customs ports

The Yemeni government announced today, Tuesday, the thwarting of 124 major smuggling operations at customs ports, including 69 kilograms of gold, as part of ongoing efforts to combat smuggling.

This came during the Prime Minister, Dr. Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, chairing a meeting of the Supreme Committee for Combating Smuggling today, Tuesday, in the interim capital, Aden, according to the Yemeni News Agency "Saba".

During the meeting, the ongoing efforts to combat smuggling in all its forms were monitored and evaluated, including tracking down currency and money smugglers and criminal networks that are trying to harm the national economy and affect the living conditions of citizens.

The meeting discussed the integration of efforts at the military, security, judicial and relevant government levels to reduce smuggling, and the level of implementation of Cabinet decisions aimed at enhancing efforts to protect sea and land ports to deter smuggling and smugglers.

The meeting also evaluated the measures taken to implement the provisions of the Prime Minister’s decision on combating the smuggling of currencies, money and precious metals, and stressed that the relevant authorities bear their responsibilities in strictly implementing the decision in a way that contributes to enhancing national and economic security.

A number of committee members presented reports on the implementation of the outcomes of the previous meeting, including job rotation procedures for all leaders and employees working at land and sea ports from all government agencies, the armed forces and security.

The committee commended the ministries and agencies that implemented the rotation process, and directed the remaining agencies to accelerate the process of implementing job rotation and the treatments taken to correct the conditions of land and sea ports to carry out their tasks in the best possible manner.

During the meeting, the head of the Customs Authority, Dr. Abdul Hakim Al-Qabati, presented a presentation on the measures taken by the Authority within its responsibilities in combating smuggling, including reactivating the smuggling sector, establishing relevant departments in the Authority, offices and customs ports, in addition to qualifying customs police employees internally and externally.

Al-Qabati stated that 124 large customs seizures were made at customs ports, including 69 kilograms of gold, noting the ongoing coordination with security and military authorities regarding the seizures, the judicial prosecution of smugglers, and the registration of cigarettes that do not bear the Bandarol stamp.

The committee appreciated the role played by the military and security establishment and the relevant agencies in limiting and controlling smuggling operations, most notably the smuggling of Iranian weapons to the terrorist Houthi militia, drugs, and other activities that harm national security, the national economy, and public health, and the importance of doubling efforts to limit the catastrophic risks of this scourge on the nation and society.

The Prime Minister directed that all that has been approved be converted into executive work matrices to develop the level of procedures related to combating smuggling, monitoring and following up on the level of achievement and holding those who are negligent accountable, stressing the pivotal role of local authorities, the media and civil society in supporting efforts to combat smuggling as it affects the national economy and impacts various security and health sectors.