MUSCAT : In a public awareness message, The Directorate General of Customs at the Royal Oman Police said customs smuggling includes a wide range of violations aimed at evading customs duties or bypassing customs regulations, stressing the importance of complying with all legal procedures governing the movement of goods across the country’s borders.

Among the acts classified as customs smuggling are the failure to present goods at the first customs office upon entry, unloading or loading cargo in violation of customs regulations or within the maritime customs zone, and failing to declare imported or exported goods or submit the required cargo manifest.

The law also considers the submission of false, fraudulent or forged documents, the use of counterfeit marks to evade customs duties, and the concealment of undeclared goods in specially designed compartments or containers as acts of customs smuggling.

Other violations include transporting or possessing goods under customs control within the customs zone without valid documentation, failing to follow prescribed import and export procedures, and illegally transporting goods to or from airports outside designated customs channels.

In addition, importing or exporting goods without customs declaration, altering the number or contents of packages after customs procedures, removing goods from free zones, customs warehouses or duty-free markets without completing customs formalities, and possessing prohibited or restricted goods without legally valid documentation are also considered customs smuggling offences under the law.

The regulations further classify the failure to re-import goods that were temporarily exported or prohibited from export, where required, as a customs offence.

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