Smuggling Expected to Decline 20%

The rate of smuggling is expected to decline by 20% from last year’s $15.5 billion and reach $12-13 billion this year, the spokesman of Headquarters for Combating Smuggling of Commodities and Foreign Exchange said.

The current Iranian year will end on March 20, 2017.

“This year, some 400 smuggling rings were disbanded,” Qasem Khorshidi was also quoted as saying by Mehr News Agency.

Last year, 14 billion rials (over $3.7 million) worth of contraband were destroyed in Iran.

Apparel, foodstuff, mobile phones, gold ingots and household appliances top the list of commodities smuggled into Iran. Fuel is the main item smuggled out of Iran due to its cheap price compared to that in neighboring countries like Turkey and Pakistan.