Local
As part of ongoing efforts to protect the local market and ensure consumer safety, relevant government authorities continue to tighten regulatory measures on trade movement across various land, sea, and air crossings nationwide, amid official assurances of strict measures against regulation violators. In this context, specialized authorities at the Ministry of Agriculture revealed on Monday the continuation of agricultural quarantine operations at border crossings, which involve handling expired goods either by destruction or return to the origin country, alongside deploying specialized technical teams to inspect incoming goods and apply legal procedures against violators. Ministry Spokesperson Qusay Al-Hattab explained that the agricultural quarantine system operates efficiently across all border crossings, in cooperation and coordination with the Border Crossings Authority, the National Security Service, and other supporting security formations. He added that regulatory procedures clearly stipulate the destruction or return of any expired goods, those exceeding the legal timeframe, or items failing to match approved import specifications, noting specific validity periods for imported materials before quarantine measures apply. He further noted the presence of Veterinary Department personnel at all border crossings to conduct necessary examinations and make destruction or seizure decisions regarding violating materials, pointing out previous successes in returning various shipments from different origins due to non-compliance with legal regulations. Regarding food items entering through illegal routes, he pointed to field monitoring committees conducting continuous inspection tours in local markets, citing the seizure and confiscation of large quantities of processed meats in the Fudhailiya area that entered through the Al-Mandhariyah border crossing irregularly. He concluded by noting that the competent investigative judge is immediately informed of such cases, in coordination with the Ministry of Interior and the Economic Security Service, affirming continuous field efforts to confiscate any goods violating instructions or entering through illegal smuggling methods.
