Iraq border agency chief briefs lawmakers on smuggling countermeasures

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The head of Iraq's Border Crossings Authority, Lt. Gen. Omar Adnan al-Waili, met with a delegation of lawmakers at the agency's headquarters to brief them on efforts to combat smuggling and document fraud. The meeting was attended by Finance Committee member MP Gufran al-Shammari, Education Committee member MP Meyade Avde, Oil, Gas and Natural Resources Committee member MP Rabi al-Musevi, and Services and Reconstruction Committee member MP Haydar al-Asadi. The delegation received a detailed presentation on the electronic management program used at border crossings, sonar network systems, image analysis methods and document examination procedures. Discussions also covered measures to collect actual customs fees and increase non-oil revenues. Al-Waili outlined inspection work carried out by the authority's teams at border crossings, checkpoints and customs points in Nineveh, Kirkuk and Diyala, where numerous violations were identified during customs and cargo controls. Al-Waili stressed the importance of informing parliamentarians about steps taken against smuggling and forgery, and about the expansion of electronic inspection systems.