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$6 billion black-market imports in Iran |
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Tuesday, 04 January 2005 |
Iran Focus
 Tehran, Jan. 04 - The head of Iran’s Office to Combat Smuggled Goods estimated that nearly $6 billion of all foreign imports come from the black-market every year and hinted at widespread government corruption as the cause.
Mr. Ghalibaf announced on national television yesterday that $6 billion was a huge figure considering that the total imports into the country over the past year was $29 billion.
Ghalibaf said, “When we speak of 5.6 to 6 billion dollars of black-market goods, we must accept that if we convert this figure to estimate the weight of the goods it can come to some seven to eight million tons”.
“This seven to eight (million) tons obviously could not have been transported from small passages and routes with small cars or carried by people within the space of one year; they were transported via the main routes”, he said.
Ghalibaf hinted at high-level corruption and accused the government of turning a blind-eye to major systematic import of black-market goods, stating that “administrative fraud takes place” to cover up their entry. |
