Abdullah: Border Control an Urgent Economic Necessity for Lebanon, Syria
MP Bilal Abdullah on Tuesday stressed the need to tighten security along Lebanon’s porous border with Syria in light of commercial smuggling of commodities after reports that low-grade Iranian iron has been smuggled into the Lebanese market.
“Controlling the Lebanese-Syrian border is no longer a political issue, it has become an urgent economic necessity for both countries because the smuggling mafia is active in both directions incurring heavy losses on both treasuries,” said Abdullah in a tweet on Tuesday.
“It is time for a calm and lasting management of this dilemma without tension or slogans. The entire authority is responsible,” he added.
Abdullah’s remarks came after reports that huge amounts of “low-grade” Iranian iron has been smuggled into Lebanon through Syria and sold at low prices.
According to Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, the owners of Lebanese companies importing iron and steel materials complain about dumping the local market with large amounts of Iranian iron, which is being smuggled from Syria to Lebanon without being subject to tests of the Scientific Research Council in Beirut to ensure that its specifications conform to the international standards in force in Lebanon.
A reputable source told the daily that Iranian ships loaded with iron unload their cargo at the port of Latakia in Syria that is later transported to Beirut by trucks and sold in the Lebanese market at reduced prices of less than $ 150 per ton.
Source: Naharnet
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