Contraband Worth $1.3b Confiscated in Iran in 5 Months

More than 52 trillion rials (over $1.36 billion at market exchange rate) of contraband goods were confiscated during the five months to August 21.

The confiscations were seven times as much as that during the corresponding period of last year, according to a report released by the Headquarters for Combating the Smuggling of Foreign Exchange and Commodities.

Over 350 smuggling rings were busted during the period, the headquarters said, adding that household appliances, edibles and apparel accounted for the lion’s share of the confiscations, IRNA reported. Other seized commodities included rice, cigarettes, satellite equipment, mobile phones, medicine, gold and jewelry, auto spare parts, cosmetics, computer parts, medical equipment, toys, fabric, oil products and shoes.

The government has stepped up efforts to rein in rampant smuggling.

According to authorities, over 15 billion worth of commodities are smuggled per annum—mostly into Iran. The figure stood at a whopping $25 billion the year President Hassan Rouhani took office in 2013.