Officials Pledge Tough Action Against Food, Medicine Smuggling

The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock held an awareness program in Kabul on the implementation of the Law on the Prevention of the Smuggling of Food, Medicines, and Health Products.

The ministry’s technical deputy said the smuggling of food and pharmaceutical products harms public health, domestic production, and the national economy, emphasizing that individuals and companies importing goods through smuggling routes will face legal action.

Sadr Azam Osmani, Technical Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, said: “Companies that import goods through legal channels operate within the law, and we will address their problems. But those who import through smuggling routes should not complain to us or blame the Islamic Emirate, because they will face the consequences of their own actions.”

Speaking at the same event, the Deputy Minister of Customs and Revenue at the Ministry of Finance said thousands of tons of human and veterinary medicines had been destroyed at customs, reaffirming the government’s continued commitment to combating the smuggling of food and pharmaceutical products.

Abdul Matin Saed, Deputy Minister of Customs and Revenue, said: “We are using all our capacity to prevent smuggling. Now that this law has been approved, thousands of tons of human and veterinary medicines have been destroyed, while dozens of tons have been seized and referred to the courts for legal proceedings. We assure the public of our commitment to preventing the smuggling of food, medicines, and health products.”

Officials from the Afghanistan Chamber of Agriculture and Livestock also called for stricter monitoring of the country’s borders to prevent the smuggling of food products.

Representatives of the private sector and investors attending the event stressed the importance of strict enforcement of the anti-smuggling law, saying it could help create a more favorable environment for investment in the country.

Toryalai Helmand, Deputy Head of the Afghanistan Poultry Farmers Union, said: “This law provides many facilities for us and creates a healthy environment in which we can compete fairly. It will also help attract investment to the country.”

The Law on the Prevention of the Smuggling of Food, Medicines, and Health Products was endorsed by the leader of the Islamic Emirate on June 19 of last year (29 Jawza). The law consists of a preamble, four chapters, three sections, and 34 articles.