TEHRAN: Government institutions in Iran have destroyed domestic production through the excessive import of goods, and many workers have lost their jobs. Economic experts in Iran place the imported goods at an amount of one billion dollars, and have destroyed more than 100,000 jobs. This “institutionalized smuggling” leads to the closure of factories and the rise of unemployment. On Monday, January 23 The National Council of Resistance of Iran reported that some authorities were interviewed by Ofogh TV, affiliated with the regime. They each acknowledged to the devastating impact of importation.The head of Iran’s Central Task Force to Combat the Smuggling of Commodities and Currency admitted to an increase in the smuggling of commodities in recent years. The commodities have high figures in foreign trade.
Smuggling has destroyed domestic production in a way that both producers and consumers have been harmed. The Vice President of Iran-China Chamber of Commerce admits that large-scale trafficking, “is the result of our opaque economy. As long as there is no transparency and competition in our economy, we will have the issues such as smuggling commodities, embezzlement or other economic corruptions.” Mohammad Hossein Barkhordar was also interviewed. He acknowledged that the agents of the regime are involved in economic corruption, smuggling, and bribery. He stated that there are some rentiers, who live well on income from these illicit investments, and are connected to both sides of left and right. Some of them receive economic medals, as well. They are experts in the leverage of the law. The Head of the Food and Drug Administration of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education said that Customs in Iran is itself the entry for the contraband. According to Fars News Agency November 23rd 2016, Zarei, Deputy Head of the Headquarters for Combating Smuggling Commodities and Foreign Exchange, said that 60 percent of docks in the country, including those of the military, the police, the petroleum trade, and fishing, are illegal.
Hassan Rouhani, President of the Iranian regime, on February 13, 2016, had a conflict with the IRGC and implicated them in the corruption and smuggling in Iran, without naming them. He stated to the state-run news agency IRNA, “when the production is going to increase, a factor of corruption and smuggling does not allow the process in Iran. It actually impedes the improvement and prosperity in the country.” Rouhani’s implicit remark to IRGC slammed this organization for corruption in the country. Commodities are allegedly smuggled into the country in the amount of 25 billion dollars annually. Some authorities of the regime have announced that this figure even reaches to 30 billion dollars in a year. More than 90 percent of cell phones in the country, have been smuggled into the country (i.e. 1,300,000 cell phones). Most clothing is imported, and 500 million square meters of fabrics are smuggled into the country, as well. More than $2,600,000,000 of health and beauty products are smuggled into the country, and most of them are fake. This high volume of trafficking implies that smuggling is fully established governmentally, and, at least according to President Rouhani, it is affiliated with IRGC.
