Customs Thwarts Smuggling of 2,236 Food Items in Six Containers to Sri Lanka

The General Customs Authority announced on Tuesday the seizure of 2,236 types of food supplies loaded into six containers prior to their export to Sri Lanka.

The authority stated that inspectors at the General Customs Authority’s Shuwaikh Port office managed to seize the 2,236 food items, which were packed in six 40-foot containers destined for export to Sri Lanka, after inspections revealed they contained subsidized food supplies.

It clarified that the seized containers belonged to several shipping and export companies, and were intercepted while completing export procedures through the Shuwaikh Port exit, before leaving the country.

The authority noted that the seizure is part of efforts to safeguard the country’s food security, preserve the strategic reserve of essential goods, ensure that subsidized food supplies reach their rightful beneficiaries, and prevent their smuggling or misuse in illegal export operations that could affect the availability of goods and the stability of supplies in the local market.

The General Customs Authority reaffirmed its continued tightening of oversight at all customs checkpoints, its confrontation of attempts to smuggle or illegally export subsidized food supplies in violation of applicable laws and regulations, and its taking of legal action against anyone proven to be involved in such incidents.