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NCRI –\u00a0These days\u2019 revelations are made in the Iran presidential election campaign trail shedding light on the scope of corruption and plundering by the regime\u2019s factions and officials.<\/p>\n
One of the most important and institutionalized aspects of corruption is the uncontrolled import of smuggled goods that dominates large percentages of Iran\u2019s economy. State-linked institutions, including the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), have taken control over Iran\u2019s ports and are meddling in customs affairs, literally transforming these economic centers to transits used to smuggled goods. The IRGC, by taking control over the country\u2019s most important economic routes and establishing a major financial empire, has taken full control over large portions of Iran\u2019s imports\/exports.<\/p>\n
Smuggling goods by institutions such as the IRGC is taking place at a time when most of the country\u2019s industries, factories and production units have gone bankrupt or are on the verge of bankruptcy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe numbers of $15 to $20 billion of smuggled goods is not a low figure for our country; it is natural that the entrance of goods from illegal channels can deliver irrecoverable damages. From an economic point of view the uncontrolled entrance of smuggled goods will lead to the end of the country\u2019s domestic production, and this could have meant jobs for 2 million people,\u201d according to a report wired on May 5th by the semi-official Tasnim news agency.<\/p>\n
Currently the IRGC has full control over nearly 90 ports, meaning nearly 45% of Iran\u2019s 212 official ports.<\/p>\n
Based on the authority Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has entitled the IRGC, the commanders can use ports and the country\u2019s ground\/air borders for whatever means needed without paying a dime in customs, all in order to independently finance the IRGC\u2019s needs to continue exporting terrorism and fundamentalism. The IRGC\u2019s imports and exports from these ports is evaluated at nearly $12 billion each year.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the first time the ISNA news agency issued a report in 2012 titled \u2018Troubling Ports\u2019, naming 80 illegal piers in the southern provinces of Hormozgan, Bushehr, Sistan & Baluchistan and Khuzestan, and Mazandaran in the north. Hormozagan stood out with 40 illegal ports. The IRGC uses these ports as facilities for \u2018illegal imports and exports\u2019 and producing \u2018dirty money\u2019,\u201d according to state-run AmadNews websie.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the past year no measures were taken to stop goods being smuggled into the country. $25 billion in goods were smuggled into the country. Of course, the Economy Minister said we have confronted the smuggling phenomenon and it has reached $15 billion through customs. However, the truth is that today\u2019s $25 billion has reached $35 billion,\u201d according to Ahmad Salek, a member of Khamenei\u2019s faction.<\/p>\n
Even if we accept the $15 billion figure placed forward last year by the so-called Anti-Smuggling Department, this is a huge figure for a country that had an import of $40 billion last year. This means around 40% of the country\u2019s official imports were through smuggled channels.<\/p>\n
In this regard referring to the numbers provided by state-run sources and confessions by the regime\u2019s own officials a deeper understanding is gained over the institutionalized nature of smuggling in Iran, and its destructive potential on Iran\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have heard that 4,000 trucks and containers are entering the country through the Bandar Abbas port, while only 1,500 of these containers are controlled and inspected,\u201d said Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, a senior judiciary official.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy are the borders impenetrable for ISIS but open to thousands of flat-bed trucks bringing in smuggled goods?\u201d asked former regime commerce minister Yahiya Al Es\u2019hagh.
\u201cEstimates show $20 to $25 billion in goods are smuggled into the country each year\u2026\u201d according to Mohammad Reza Pour-Ebrahimi, Chair of the Iranian Parliament Economic Commission. (Semi-official Fars news agency \u2013 April 5, 2017)<\/p>\n
\u201cLack of oversight and transparency over the economic activities of free zones has transformed these zones into cliffs for the country\u2019s production and employment. Each year $18 to $25 billion in goods are smuggled into the country, leading to the loss of 2 million job opportunities\u2026 the spokesman of the Anti-Smuggling Department said one fourth of the country\u2019s imported goods are smuggled,\u201d according to a reported posted by the state-run \u2018Ruydad 24\u2019 website on April 10th.<\/p>\n
To this end, what is taking place is far beyond a catastrophe. Such a phenomenon has enormously destructive impacts, including higher unemployment, a production halt and loss of jobs\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NCRI – These days’ revelations are made in the Iran presidential election campaign trail shedding light on the scope of corruption and plundering by the regime’s factions and officials. One of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":48872,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[175],"class_list":{"0":"post-22812","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"tag-updated"},"yoast_head":"\n